The council was putting in place procedures to name streets in Long Buckby Wharf following requests made last year by some villagers who were concerned that emergency services were unable to locate households, along with difficulties with deliveries.

However, after consulting villagers, picking proposals for names and approaching Royal Mail over possible postcode changes, one householder, Julia Lang, formally objected.

She said: “I didn’t think the naming was necessary, but the whole process was fundamentally flawed.

“Instead of a proper consultation, in November the district council just put some official notices up.

“Two or three of us stood up and said we didn’t agree with it, and it fell to me to follow it through.

“The process was so flawed that I decided to take it right back to basics.”

Mrs Lang’s challenge led to her and the council being called to Daventry Magistrates’ Court where the district council would be required to prove it had adopted the legal power to name existing roads.

On Monday the council decided it could not easily prove it had power and that it would be more cost effective to adopt the act again and start the road-naming process from scratch.

Because of this the case was withdrawn by the court.

Simon Bowers, corporate manager for development and property at the council, said: “There has been one sustained objection over the proposals and this appeal was taken to court.

“To bring the matter to a conclusion in the simplest way, the council will be asked to formally adopt the relevant legislation for the whole district.

“There would then be further consultation in Long Buckby Wharf to ensure that the proposals are right.

“We believe this is the first time a street-naming process has ever been challenged in the district and this is certainly the case since 1980.

“The repeat consultation and adoption of the act is estimated to cost approximately £2,000.”