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Naming and Renaming of Roads, Private Roads and Rights-of-Way

Reference: P11-002 
Status: Approved 24 May 2011

POLICY PURPOSE

This policy clarifies how roads are named and renamed in New Plymouth District to enable transparent decision-making and management of this process.

The policy also explains how private roads and rights-of-way (private ways) may be named or renamed in the district. 

POLICY STATEMENTS

The following statements provide information and guide decision-making on the naming and renaming of roads in New Plymouth District.

Legislative authority and obligations  

1. Section 319 (j) of the Local Government Act 1974 provides the Council the authority in respect of roads to ‘name and to alter the name of any road and to place on any building or erection on or abutting on any road a plate bearing the name of the road’.

Councils position on road naming

2. Road names can promote a sense of place connection for residents of a road, mana whenua and the local community. The Council acknowledges this connection and understands the importance of choosing the appropriate road name in maintaining and enhancing this relationship. Through this policy, the Council aims to ensure that road naming and renaming is an inclusive process where all affected parties have the opportunity to participate in the naming process.

Reasons for naming and renaming

3. Roads are usually required to be named at the time they are created which is usually following the granting of a subdivision consent with roads being formed as part of the subdivision.
 
4. Roads may be required to be renamed for various reasons including the following:

• Change to road layout/road system (e.g. realignment of road).
• Misspelling of existing name.
• Inappropriate allocation of existing name.

 
Principles for naming and renaming of roads 
 
5. The following principles apply to the naming and renaming of roads:

• Road names should reflect either the historical, social, cultural, economic or environmental identity of the local area and its community.
• Interested and affected parties will be notified of the road naming or renaming.
• Affected parties will have an opportunity to propose a name for consideration.

Process for naming and renaming of roads
Statements 6 to 11 detail the process for naming and renaming of roads (a flow chart of the process is also included in Appendix One).

• Appendix One (One page 100KB PDF)

6. Identifying and notifying interested and affected parties
Once a road requires naming or renaming the Council will identify and notify affected and interested parties. 
    

• Interested parties will be informed of the requirement to name or rename the road and may include; local residents societies, social groups, clubs and organisations, property owners of neighbouring areas, or any other person(s) who are not directly affected by the naming or renaming of the road as determined by the Council. This may be done through public notification in a local community newspaper.
• Affected parties will be informed of the requirement to name or rename the road and will be provided with an opportunity to propose a name for the road. Affected parties include the following:
  o Naming of a new road; the developer, iwi and hapu.
  o Renaming of a road; property owners and occupiers of properties on the road, iwi and hapu.

7. Proposing names
As part of the consultation process, affected parties will receive a road name form to complete if they wish to propose a name for the road.

The Council will only accept a proposed road name on a completed road name form.

Any proposed name will be required to be accompanied by information supporting the name and explaining how it meets the assessment   criteria.
 
A proposed name may or may not be accompanied by a road descriptor. In general the road descriptor will reflect the geography of the area, the layout of the road or the public/private nature of the road. For example, a road going up hill might be called a “hill” or “rise”, a loop road might be called a “crescent” and a private right-of-way might be called a “way” or “mews”. If the proposed name is not accompanied by a road descriptor or the Council determines that a proposed road descriptor is not appropriate for the road then the Council may determine an appropriate descriptor.    

The Council may reject any road name form that is not completed in full, or if the information in the form is not of sufficient detail to enable accurate assessment of the name.

The Council encourages affected parties to consult with each other and work together to propose a road name. The popularity of a proposed road name is a significant factor in determining whether a name is reported to the delegated authority for final selection of the road name. 
 
8. Guidance when choosing Maori names
When individuals, as opposed to iwi/hapu, are proposing a name care should be taken with tupuna or ancestral names as these do not belong to any one person and may cause offence to other descendants of that tupuna. Endorsement by the hapû or iwi of the area should accompany any proposed tupuna name.

Maori names associated with the whenua (land), tribal rohe, geographical place or site, historical event, object, or spiritual or cultural connections are preferred. Endorsement by associated hapû or iwi of the area should accompany any proposed name.  

9. Assessing proposed road names
The Council will assess proposed names from affected parties against the following criteria.

Names will be accepted as long as they:

• Reflect either the historical, social, cultural, economic or environmental identity of the local area and/or its community.
• Meet the guidance for choosing Maori names, if applicable.
• Are supported with sufficient and correct information including explanation and context of the name. 
• Do not resemble any road names already in use within the same urban area.
• Are spelt correctly.
• Are less than 15 letters in length (excluding the road descriptor).
• Do not contain abbreviations, hyphens, apostrophes or initials.
• Are not likely to give offence or are inappropriate to use.
• Are not named after a living person.
• Are proposed on a completed road name form. 

Any name that does not favourably meet these criteria will not normally be accepted.
 
10. Reporting proposed road names
Irrespective of the number of proposed names that meet the assessment criteria there is a maximum of four proposed names that will be made available for final selection by the delegated authority. The four proposed names will be determined by the following process:

• Iwi/hapu proposed names - The Council recognises tangata whenua relationship with the land as well as the collaborative approach taken by iwi and hapû when proposing a road name. Consequently, if a name or names are proposed by iwi or hapû then at least one of these names will be reported to the delegated authority for final selection of the road name. This will not be subject to the process detailed in the following bullet points.
• Four or less names are proposed- if there are four or less proposed names then all these names will be reported to the delegated authority for final selection of the road name. This will include at least one proposed name from iwi or hapû if available. 
• Five or more names are proposed- if there are five or more proposed names then the four most popular names will be reported to the delegated authority for final selection of the road name. Name popularity is determined by the number of individual proposals received for a name. If the four most popular names cannot be determined then the Council will randomly select four names to be reported to the delegated authority for final determination of the road name. At least one proposed name from iwi or hapu will be selected (if available) irrespective of popularity or random selection.          

11. Final decision
The delegated authority will receive a report with a maximum of four names per road including a recommended name for the road. The delegated authority will choose the name of the road.

All affected and interested parties will be informed of the new road name.

Naming and renaming of private roads and rights-of-way (private ways)

12. The Council has no legal obligation to name or rename a private road or right-of-way.

13. Private roads and rights-of-way with a minimum of five present or future properties may be named or renamed at the request of the owner(s) of the private road or right-of-way.

14. The Council will only receive proposals for names from the owner of the private road or right-of-way. A maximum of two names per private road or right-of-way may be proposed.

15.  For a name to be considered the owner(s) is required to obtain written consent from the following affected parties:

• Private road; property owners who obtain access to their properties from the road.
• Right-of-way; persons who own or have a right of use over the right-of-way.

Names have to meet the assessment criteria as detailed in Statement 9 of this policy.

16. The delegated authority will receive a report with all the proposed names that meet the assessment criteria including a recommended name for the road. The delegated authority will choose the name of the road.

Implementation of a new name

Statements 17 to 21 detail the implementation requirements and responsibilities once a new name is chosen.

17. Statutory notifications
To meet the requirements of Section 319A of the Local Government Act 1974, Council staff will as soon as is practicable send a copy of the resolution to name or rename a road to the Registrar-General of Land and the Surveyor-General.
 
18. Assistance to affected parties
The Council may provide non-financial assistance to affected parties of a road, a private road or right-of-way that has been named or renamed. The assistance may include informing other statutory bodies of the change of address e.g. electoral role, New Zealand Post, Land Information New Zealand. 
  
19. Costs 
 Any costs incurred by an affected party as a result of the naming and renaming of a road, a private road or right-of-way will be the responsibility of the affected party. Costs may include the physical renumbering of properties and replacement of business and commercial stationary.               
  
20. Allocation of numbers
Council staff, in accordance with Section 319B of the Local Government Act 1974, will allocate numbers to affected properties of a road, a private road or right-of-way that has been named or renamed. 
  
21. Physical works - road name signs 
Section 319 (j) of the Local Government Act 1974 provides the Council with the authority to install road name signs showing the new name of the road.

To be in line with the New Plymouth District Plan Financial Contributions Policy, for roads formed as part of a subdivision any road name sign will be installed at the cost of the developer. The maintenance of the road signs will transfer to the Council if/when the road is vested with the Council.    
 
For the renaming of Council owned and maintained roads, the Council will cover the costs to install and maintain the new signs.   
 
For private roads and rights-of-ways, the installation and maintenance of the road name sign is at the cost and responsibility of the owner. 
 
The Council will determine the physical location of all road name signs on roads, private roads and rights-of-way. 

All signs have to be installed by a Council approved contractor.

POLICY CONTACT

The policy holder is the Team within the Group.

POLICY REVIEW

This policy shall be reviewed three yearly from the date the policy is adopted.

Reviewed three yearly (next review 2014).

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