§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether street numbering, using clear and visible numbers, is a matter that can be dealt with through local by-laws; and whether a British standard exists for house and commercial numbers. [HL4631]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)There are no specific by-laws and no general legal requirement for premises to display their numbers in any particular way. However, under the Town Improvement Clauses Act 1847 local authorities are able, by means of a local Act, to take special powers which enable them to require premises to maintain their number and display it conspicuously.
I understand from the British Standards Institute that there is no British standard for house and commercial numbering. Nevertheless, Appendix C of the Department of Transport Circular Roads 3/93 sets out recommended best practice regarding the style and location of premises' numbers.