Why thousands of Normandy residents will soon have to change address
5,000 new street numbers are set to be distributed by mid-March
All the addresses involved in the change must display their new house numbers and names by March 15
Alphacit Newim Reporter/Shutterstock
Almost 90% of the population in the town of Vire, Calvados (Normandy) will soon be forced to change their address, due to the creation of a new commune.
The commune will bring together eight areas, but also requires the mairie to distribute 5,000 new house number plaques to residents. A dedicated team is working to ensure that the numbers are sent out in time, with the new addresses required to be displayed from March 15 onwards.
Overall, the administrative cost of the change is €250,000.
‘It’s a bit annoying’
The address change is mandatory, and a ‘numéro vert’ phone helpline has been set up for any residents who need administrative help to make the switch.
“It can be complicated,” said Francoise Foubert, democracy deputy at the mairie, who has been helping to answer the helpline calls. “For people who don’t have computers at home, or who are slightly older and are not necessarily used to it all.
“There are so many changes to make, that it can feel a bit suffocating for people. So we’re here to help them with it,” she told FranceInfo.
Businesses are also affected. Alexandre Maisan, who works at watchmaker Atelier Kairos in the town centre, will see the business premises’ number change from 2 to 26.
“We've had to tell all of our professional customers that we’re changing addresses, and redo all of our business cards,” he said. “It’s lots of little things. It’s not the end of the world…but it’s a bit annoying.”
Street address law
The change comes after a recent ‘decentralisation’ law, which stipulated that all streets in France must have a name, and all homes must have a number and unique address. Anyone whose address changed as part of that law was also required to ensure that their new address was listed on all documentation.
Read also: Address change deadline looms for one million French homes
Read more: Mairie changed the name of my street in France: What must I do?
Read also: Many small communes in France yet to finalise address changes
The main aim behind the law is to facilitate the installation of new fibre internet, prevent the loss of post and parcels, and make finding addresses easier for emergency services.
Read also: French village plans to (finally) number its houses and name streets
Similarly, in 2021, the small village of Faux-la-Montagne in Creuse (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) had to name and number its streets for the first time ever, after going decades without any. They were not previously considered necessary, as all 430 residents ‘knew where everything was’.
However, new fibre internet installation and increased parcel deliveries meant that mayor Catherine Moulin was prompted to make the switch.
