New Street Naming Policy for the Municipality of Voorschoten

Whenever a new street is added in Voorschoten, the municipality initiates a process to name it. Starting this fall, residents with ideas for new street names can also submit proposals. And there’s no shortage of good ideas in our village: since the new policy was adopted, we’ve already received many requests from residents. These requests often mention the names of famous local families, as well as well-known residents of Voorschoten. Many of these requests therefore tie in nicely with our village’s rich history.

Mayor Stemerdink: “Our residents know a great deal about the history of our village. There’s a real interest in Voorschoten’s history! This engagement on the part of Voorschoten’s residents has inspired our former mayor, Pauline Bouvy-Koene. She has made it clear that she believes it’s important for residents’ voices to be heard. Voorschoten’s history deserves to be reflected in new street names. That is why she has decided to forgo having a street named after her in favor of renaming it after the Griffioen family. The Bouvy-Koenelaan will therefore become the Griffioenlaan.”

Many requests

To date, the municipality of Voorschoten has received many requests for street names for the Segaar-Arsenaal development project and the surrounding area. Many of these ideas involve illustrious Voorschoten family names such as Griffioen, Segaar, and Mechelse. These suggestions will certainly be taken into consideration. Another proposal was for a “Max van der Stoelstraat,” named after the former Minister of Foreign Affairs. While it is a nice proposal, the municipality has decided not to grant this request. This is because there is already a Dr. Martinus van der Stoelstraat in Voorschoten, named after Max van der Stoel’s father. The two names are simply too similar. The municipality of Voorschoten is now considering whether a bridge or park could be named after Max van der Stoel. 

New Rules

The municipality welcomes requests for new street names. Residents who wish to propose a new street name must, however, take a few conditions into account. For example, the new street name must be easy to pronounce and not too long. The new name must also fit in with the street’s surroundings. And if the choice is the name of a person, that person must have been deceased for at least ten years and must have lived in or been born in Voorschoten.

More information

Residents who would like to learn more about requesting a street name, or who would like to submit a request right away, can visit www.voorschoten.nl/nieuwe-straatnaam-voorstellen.