Street signs, names and numbers

You can propose your own preferred street name. Please give more than one suggestion.

We ask that:

1. Any suggested road name should have some connection with the area or history of the area. If you have difficulty selecting an appropriate name and would like advice on local history, please contact the local library.

2. You think about the names of fallen service personnel, from the St Albans district and offer their families a chance to have a street, road or building named after their loved ones, if that is their wish. Please contact us for suggestions.

Please avoid:

1. Repeating existing names, for example a request for St Mary’s Close off an existing St Mary’s Way, near St Mary’s Church

2. Using unofficial developer ‘marketing’ titles (often these ‘prestigious addresses’ fall foul of the Policy and have to be changed)

3. Giving any postal addresses, including the postcode, to potential occupiers or owners, either directly or indirectly (for example via solicitors or estate agents) before the official Naming Plan and/or Numbering Plan has been issued by the Council

We regularly ask Parish Councils for road name suggestions to reflect the local area and history. 

Street names endings

All new street names should end with a terminal word such as:

Road, Street, Avenue, Drive, Lane, Place or Gardens. These titles are acceptable for any type of new street.

The following are also acceptable in specific circumstances:

1. Crescent – for a crescent shaped road only

2. Close – for a cul-de-sac only

3. Square – for a square only

4. Hill – for a hill only

5. Circus – for a roundabout only

6. Terrace – for a terrace of houses but NOT as a subsidiary name within another road

7. Mews – this is currently popular and is considered acceptable in appropriate circumstances

8. End – for a road with only one entrance/exit

All new pedestrian ways should end with:

1. Walk, Path or Way

All named blocks should end with one of the following:

1. Court – for flats and other residential buildings

2. Mansions – other residential buildings

3. House – residential blocks only

4. Point – high residential blocks only

5. Tower – high residential or office blocks

Street numbers

1. Are numbered with even numbers on one side (normally the right approaching from the town centre) and odd numbers on the other, except for a cul-de-sac where numbering is usually consecutive in a clockwise direction

2. Include all numbers, including 13, 7 and 4, in the proper sequence

Numbers will not be given to:

1. Private garages and similar buildings used only for housing cars etc

2. Buildings which already have a number - however, there are some exceptions to this rule.

Blocks of flats

For small blocks of flats it is usual to give a street number to each dwelling. But when there are insufficient street numbers available because of existing developments, the block will be numbered in the street (and possibly named as well).

Use of letters

To avoid renumbering existing houses in the same road, sometimes new homes will be numbered with the number of the old house followed by a, b, c, d etc.

Annexes

Annexes to buildings, for example granny flats, will be given the prefix “The Annexe”. The rest of the address will be the same as the parent property e.g. The Annexe, 32 High Street.

Dwellings accessed through commercial premises

For any dwelling accessed internally through commercial premises, the accommodation will be given a prefix to match the accommodation type i.e. The Flat. The rest of the address will be the same as the parent property, e.g. where a flat is above a public house and is only accessed internally, its address will be The Flat, name of Public House, street number and name.

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Changing the name for an unnumbered house or building

Anyone wishing to change the name of their unnumbered house or building must apply to us to make sure they are registered with the emergency and postal services.

1. The name of an unnumbered house is part of the official address and not an addition.

2. Owners can name their properties without informing us, however, it will not form part of the legal address and can cause confusion.

3. Please do not repeat an existing name in the same street.

Changing the name of a numbered house or building

Where a property has a number, it must be used and displayed.

1. If a property has a number and a name, Royal Mail will give the number precedence. The Royal Mail’s online postal address database will only show the number of your property.

2. You should use both the house name and the number.

We do not normally support the renaming or renumbering of existing streets and buildings unless the benefits clearly outweigh the obvious disadvantages.

Owners of houses on corners occasionally apply to change their addresses from one road to the other because they have altered their access. This is usually quite easy to arrange.

An address is attached to the property and not the land the property is situated on. Following the demolition of a property the address will be deactivated.

Any replacement property built on the land will need a new address. 

Please note that a replacement property may not be allocated the same address as the original.

If the proposed works are not listed above as a standard charge, we will advise you of the cost.

Please pay online at https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/pay-online