Lisburn households told their addresses are wrong

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A number of Lisburn ratepayers have been left in shock after being told by Lisburn City Council that for the past ten years they have been living at the wrong address.

It is not known how the error occurred but residents at Causeway Meadows, a private development which was built ten years ago, received letters in August advising them that the numbers they have been living at have been wrong and will have to be changed. Residents are currently being issued with a new number.

One resident told the Ulster Star the blunder will mean he is out of pocket as he will have to change his address on all of his personal documents.

“This is a joke,” said the resident. “I now have to change the address on my passport and my driving licence. I have to contact the doctors; everything. Just think of all the documents you have to change.”

He said that the blunder was discovered by a solicitor during the sale of a house.

“I received a letter from the council to tell me of the changes and I ignored it - thought it was a prank,” he said. “If the problem is that there is an extra house then why not just simply call it ‘a’ or ‘b’ instead of renaming all the houses in the development.

“There are all sorts of implications here. If my post is sent to the house next door and it is rented then when will I get the post? Surely, it will be a head ache for the post man so close to Christmas.”

The resident has asked why this was not noticed before now.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: “Royal Mail is aware of the current addressing problems in Causeway Meadows. The local authority are responsible for officially addressing properties including the naming and numbering of streets and we are in regular contact with Lisburn City Council on this matter.

“Where possible, we are keeping the same postman in this area so that his local knowledge can ensure that customers receive their correct mail as quickly as possible until the addresses are correctly numbered by Lisburn City Council.”

MP Jeffrey Donaldson said that he will be raising the issue with the Royal Mail and Lisburn City Council.

A spokesperson with the Lisburn City Council said, “In 2004, Lisburn City Council’s Building Control Service received plans from Bramley Construction for the Causeway Meadows housing development.

“These plans included 120 new build houses for the site and the Council numbered the house sites in accordance with the plot numbers identified on the plans.

“The Council has only named and numbered the houses in this development once. However, this issue only became apparent when people started to sell houses in Causeway Meadows and that incorrect postal code addresses were being used. The Council is not changing the numbers that it allocated to the original plans.

“It was subsequently able to identify that the discrepancy arose when the developer omitted a site within plots 51-54 without informing the Council; and had done this because the area on the plans for the terraced houses 51-54 was not large enough for four properties. Such an action resulted in the house numbers after 50 being incorrect.

“Council Officers have met on several occasions with the Residents Group to discuss the matter.

“The Council is disappointed that the developer failed to communicate the changes with it; and that the discrepancy was not highlighted to the householders.”

“Lisburn City Council has a duty to ensure that all housing developments within its area are well constructed and appropriately numbered in accordance with plans submitted to its Building Control Service.”