Street naming and numbering

We are responsible for street naming and numbering and addressing new and existing properties. This is to make sure that any new streets or properties are addressed logically so that:

your post and parcels are delivered efficiently
emergency service vehicles can quickly find your address

Royal Mail requires all new properties and amended addresses to be approved by the Local Authority before allocating a postcode and adding the addresses to their Postal Address File. When your property is on the address database it will appear in the 'find your address' listings online for shopping and applying for services such as broadband and electricity.

Changing your address

If your property has a name and not a postal number you will need the council's approval to make any changes to the name. New property names must be different to existing names in the same area. There is a charge of £85.00 to rename a property officially.

We can’t remove or change a property’s number unless there are exceptional circumstances so please contact us to check before paying to request a house number change. To pay for an address change complete the online form:

Pay for a change of address

Or complete a form then pay by debit or credit card by calling 01594 81000 or posting it with a cheque made payable to Forest of Dean District Council to Council Offices, High Street, Coleford, Glos, GL16 8HG:

PDF Icon Change a house name or add a name to an existing property form - pdf - 79 Kb

Name and number new developments

If you are creating a single new property which requires a postal address there is a charge of £85 for the new address.

Pay for a new address

Where developments take place which include the building of new access roads, including private streets, the road names must be approved. The selection of new street names requires careful consideration to check that they are suitable for the area and will not conflict with or duplicate any existing names in the same locality.

If you are responsible for a new development, property or business unit which requires a new naming and/or numbering scheme, please contact us as soon as building work starts to ensure a suitable address is allocated before the building is occupied.

Notify us of a new development

We send the address information to Royal Mail, emergency services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant council services including council tax and elections.

Fees for new developments

The following fees apply to new developments:

No of plots	Fee
1-5 per plot	£85
6-25 plots	£570
26-75 plots	£870
76-150 plots	£1,250
151-250 plots	£1,560
251-350 plots	£1,870
351-500 plots	£2,180
501+ plots	£2,490
Naming and numbering a block of flats	£270
Additional charge where new street names are required	£160 per street
Additional charge where new court names are required	£130 per name
Changes to plans if naming and numbering already commenced	£150
Providing a letter of certification (optional - by request only)	£25

To pay for a new development please:

Use a debit or credit card and call 01594 810000 quoting payment reference R9222 TMR001
Send a cheque made payable to Forest of Dean District Council to Council Offices, High Street, Coleford, Glos, GL16 8HG.

For guidelines on addressing a new development view:

PDF Icon Street naming and numbering procedures - pdf - 491 Kb

Address enquiries

Report a problem or confirm your address

You can also email us with address queries at [email protected]

Renaming an existing street name

Anyone wishing to apply to rename their street should discuss it with their Town or Parish Council in the first instance and then call us on 01594 810000 or email [email protected] for further assistance.

The charge to rename an existing street name is £330 (plus £35 per property).

Postcodes

Postcodes are issued by the Royal Mail. They will only issue a postcode for a new street when requested by the district council. For questions about existing postcodes and postal towns please contact Royal Mail on 08457 111 222.

Report missing or damaged street nameplates

We maintain street nameplates once a street has been adopted. Signs on private roads are the responsibility of the residents or management company. To report missing or damaged street nameplates call us on 01594 810000 or email [email protected].

If you would like to know more about how we use your personal information see our privacy notice.