Street naming and numbering

We are responsible for the naming and numbering of new or existing streets and buildings within Tower Hamlets.
The correct addressing of a property is important. Postal and emergency services, as well as many organisations and the general public, need an efficient means of locating and referencing properties.

Our street naming and numbering services:

• Naming new streets and footpaths (names for parks can be chosen by the park owner but they must be notified to the council for official addressing).

• Naming new buildings (names for licensed premises and theatres can be chosen by the property owner but they must be notified to the council for official addressing).

• Renaming existing streets and buildings.

• Deciding on numbering and renumbering of buildings.

What is required?

You must submit an application for new names or numbers for streets or buildings within Tower Hamlets.

You need to submit the relevant application form together with the right supporting documentation.

The supporting documentation is needed to capture the legal description of properties. The team can then create new addresses and update existing addresses on the national and local database.  

You should submit your application form as soon as construction work starts on the new street or building.

How to apply

For the vast majority of applications, you should complete the  Street naming and numbering application form.

If the property is a pre-existing address and the naming had not been subject to a previous naming and numbering order, then you may need to carry out regularisation.

For this, you should submit a Street naming and numbering regularisation application form 

For all applications, you need to complete the Development information spreadsheet.

The completed form together with the spreadsheet  should be emailed to  SNN@towerhamlets.gov.uk. 

Guidance and advice 

If you need advice before you submit your application, please look at this guidance:

• Street naming and numbering guidance notes  
• Street naming and numbering regularisation guidance notes 
• Street naming and numbering fees

You can also get additional street naming and numbering information on our list of frequently asked questions.

What happens next?

The name or number will be officially assigned when we have issued an order. Orders for naming and numbering applications will usually be issued approximately 12 weeks after we have accepted a valid application.

A final order shall be issued before the completion of the development. This timescale assumes that no objections are received during the consultation period.

The document becomes part of the legal description of the property. A copy of the order will be sent to the owners of the properties concerned and this document should be attached to the title deeds of the property.

We will forward a copy to Royal Mail for them to assign the postcodes to any new addresses. The confirmation of the address is sent to the applicant along with other key stakeholders such as Electoral Services.

Contact us  

You can contact the street naming and numbering team through the SNN Advice form
For updates on existing applications, please use the Status update form. 

For any other questions or if you can't use the forms, you can still get in touch with the team:

Street Naming and Numbering
Housing and Regeneration Directorate
Tower Hamlets Town Hall
160 Whitechapel Road
London
E1 1BJ
Tel: 020 7364 5009, Monday to Friday from 9am-1pm
Email: SNN@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Further information

Allocation of new postcodes

Royal Mail will only add the new addresses to its Postcode Address File (PAF) upon receipt of a street naming and numbering order from the council. Postcodes are only assigned to properties and addresses that are considered as postal delivery points.

If you want your property to be assigned a postcode and listed separately on Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF), you must prepare a distinct postal drop-off point in the building for the property.

We will normally confirm your postcodes to you in writing on the final street naming and numbering order. Royal Mail does not make an address "live" on PAF until it is informed that the property is occupied.

As soon as the address is "live" on PAF, it will appear on Royal Mail's website. You should notify the street/building naming and numbering officer when the property is occupied so that the new postcode can be activated with Royal Mail.

If you have any queries after your postcode has been confirmed and activated, please contact the Royal Mail address development team:

Tel: 08456 045060 
Email: addressdevelopment@royalmail.com

Royal Mail postcode search

Regional, national and international addressing standards

The street naming and numbering system is a component of a wider local, national and international geographic addressing infrastructure and is, as such, governed by a number of national and international addressing standards.

These standards include:

• British Standard (BS) 7666 (latest version 2006): British standard for Geographic Referencing.

• European Union Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (EU INSPIRE) Addressing Data Specification 2010.

• International Organisation for Standards (ISO) 19111 Standard (latest version 2007) – Geographic Information – Spatial Referencing by Coordinates.

• International Organisation for Standards (ISO) 19112 Standard (latest version 2003) – Geographic Information – Spatial Referencing by Geographic Identifiers.

• United Nations Universal Postal Union (UN-UPU) International Addressing Standards S42& S53.

We will be pleased to receive your proposals for naming and numbering and will make every effort to accommodate your wishes. However, all proposals will be subject to these standards and we will develop all new addresses to meet these standards.