Planning

Street Naming and Numbering

Worcester City Council is responsible for street naming and property numbering within the city of Worcester. Anyone seeking the creation of addresses for new properties or an address change on an existing property must apply to the City Council.

If a property is not 'registered' through the Council’s Street Naming and Numbering (SNN) process your address will not appear on the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) or the Royal Mail Postal Address File (PAF) and the owner/occupier may encounter difficulties in obtaining services such as:

utilities, such as gas and electricity
applying for credit cards; mobile phone contracts; etc.
delivery of goods
critically being located by the emergency services in emergencies

Street Naming & Numbering Policy

View the Council’s policy on its pdf SNN process and procedures (127 KB) .

This document also sets out our powers and duties for undertaking street naming and numbering.

Allocation of Postcodes

The Royal Mail will not allocate a postcode until they receive official notification of new or amended addresses from the Council.

The Council is not responsible for allocating postal codes, this is the responsibility of Royal Mail, and any queries relating to this should be directed to Royal Mail’s customer services team.

Please note that it can take up to eight weeks for Royal Mail to allocate a postcode.

New Developments

The street naming and numbering process for new developments can take several months. Therefore, it is advisable to make an application to us at the earliest possible stage of the development, and before properties are occupied. Failure to do so will result in delays when registering for Council Tax and/or utility services.

An application should be submitted to the Street Naming and Numbering service - where appropriate, this should include both planning application and Building Control references.

We have a strict procedure and criteria for allocating new street names. Please refer to the Council's pdf Street Naming & Numbering Policy (127 KB) for details.

Schedule of Fees for 2025/2026

New Development or Conversion/Change of Use Scheme

New Development or Conversion/Change of Use Scheme	Description	Cost (£)
Naming a New Street	-	360.00
Naming and Numbering premises	-	180.00
Each additional premise	Naming & Numbering each additional premises	34.50
Additional charges	Additional charges where naming a building (e.g. block of flats)	90.00

Development Re-plan

Development Re-plan	Description	Cost (£)
Renumbering of a scheme following the developer's replan of site layout (after the notification of numbering issued)	Amendment to a street name	360.00
Amendment to Naming and Numbering of Premises	-	180.00
Each additional premise	-	34.50
Additional charges	Additional charges where naming a building e.g. block of flats)	90.00

Existing Properties

Existing Properties	Description	Cost (£)
Naming , Renaming or Renumbering existing property	Adding a name to or renaming a premise where the premise is also numbered (adding an 'alias name'). If a property is already numbered, a property owner can additionally name their property. The property number must still be displayed and referred to in any correspondence	34.50
Chanqe or add a name to an existing residential or Commercial property	Renaming a premise where the premise is also not numbered	180.00
Each additional premise	-	34.50
Renumbering a premise	-	180.00
Additional charges	Additional charge where naming a building e.g. block of flats	90.00

Confirmation of Addresses

Confirmation of Addresses	Description	Cost (£)
Confirmation of Address to solicitors/conveyancers/occupiers or owners	Confirmation of an official address allocated by Worcester City Council	37.50

Applications

Who should Apply?

Individuals or developers building new houses, commercial or industrial premises
Individuals or developers undertaking conversions of existing residential, commercial or industrial premises which result in the creation of new properties or premises
Property owners wishing to amend their existing property name.

When should I apply?

Most utility companies are reluctant to install services where an official postal address has not been allocated. It is therefore advisable to consult the Council at the earliest possible stage of a proposal - preferably before building work commences - and ideally before an unofficial name has been marketed or legal documentation drafted.

Apply

Please check that your property falls within Worcester City Council administrative boundary We are unable to respond to property queries outside of Worcester City (refunds are subject to a £10 administrative fee).

Rename or renumber an existing street or property

Confirmation of address

Following submission of your application we will inform you of your SNN application reference number and charge. This reference number must be used with all communication with us as it will allow us to access your request quickly and easily.

If you are unsure which form to use or you are unable to carry out the application process online please email the Street Naming and Numbering team for guidance This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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