THE INTERNATIONALLY-famous Snape Maltings complex has avoided the huge expense of changing postal addresses.

Richard Smith

THE INTERNATIONALLY-famous Snape Maltings complex has avoided the huge expense of changing postal addresses.

Suffolk Coastal District Council has ruled that Snape Maltings and neighbouring houses can keep their Snape address.

The Maltings and surrounding area has been within Tunstall parish boundary for more than 100 years which has been the subject of previous controversy.

The issue of addresses was raised when Suffolk Coastal was considering the addresses to be used by the new apartments being built at the Maltings.

The council asked residents at Snape Bridge for their views on altering their addresses from Snape IP17 to Tunstall IP12. They asked to retain the Snape address.

Johnny Gooderham, owner of Snape Maltings, said: ''A change of postcode provides no benefit at all for Snape Maltings nor our neighbouring residents.

''What it does create is unnecessary administrative problems which have on-going costs at a time when people are very mindful of their expenditure, let alone the unnecessary confusion during any postcode change.

''Together with our local residents we shared our thoughts with Ray Herring of Suffolk Coastal District Council, who was thoroughly supportive and we are all delighted that commonsense has prevailed.''

Ray Herring, leader of Suffolk Coastal and district councillor for Tunstall, said: ''The new 65 converted properties in the process of being developed at the Maltings will require postal addresses to be assigned and Suffolk Coastal District has asked Snape Bridge residents their views on whether all the current addresses could be changed to Tunstall, Woodbridge IP12.

''This would ensure all postal, administrative and parish mapping references are coterminous.

''Not surprisingly, residents have strongly indicated their wish to retain the current postal addresses. There would be substantial inconvenience for residents and the Maltings/Aldeburgh Music businesses in changing their addresses - driving licences, banks, insurance, legal documentation, business arrangement's etc and there has been little evidence that postal deliveries have been a problem in the past.''

Cllr Herring added: ''Changing postal addresses to Tunstall would include the new Maltings complex and could direct additional traffic through the street in Tunstall causing additional congestion at its road junctions.

''The 65 new converted units at the Maltings will be continue to be situated in the parish of Tunstall for geographic, administrative, electoral and council tax purposes, exactly the same as the existing Snape Bridge residents.''

Aldeburgh Music was also worried about the possible change because Snape is part of its identity.

In 2005 Snape parish council wanted its parish boundaries to be altered to include Snape Bridge. Suffolk Coastal decided not to review the boundaries.

richard.smith@eadt.co.uk