AL5 postcode area guide — Central Bedfordshire

Where is AL5?

Broadband & internet speeds in AL5

Excellent coverage

Broadband availability in the AL5 postcode district (Central Bedfordshire) is Excellent — gigabit-capable full fibre is widely available. Across the 1,037 postcodes Ofcom measures in AL5, superfast broadband (30 Mbit/s or faster) reaches 97.4% of premises and gigabit-capable lines are available to 86.1%.

Around 0% of premises in AL5 fall below the Universal Service Obligation (a minimum of 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload), so the overwhelming majority of homes and businesses here can already order a decent fixed line. For a business that depends on its connection, the figures that matter most are gigabit and full-fibre availability — the symmetric, low-contention services we quote leased lines and FTTP against.

Sample postcodes in AL5

Run a speed test to see what you're actually getting, or check your exact postcode.

Mobile signal around Central Bedfordshire

Ofcom's coverage model for the wider Central Bedfordshire district (140,687 premises):

Signal varies street by street — use the mobile coverage checker to compare EE, O2, Three and Vodafone at an exact postcode.

Crime in AL5

Police recorded 116 incidents within about a mile of the centre of AL5 in May 2026 (latest published street-level data). The breakdown:

Raw counts favour busy town centres — a high street with shops and nightlife records more incidents than a residential cul-de-sac. Source: police.uk open data (point sample around the district centroid).

House prices in AL5

Based on 317 sales registered with HM Land Registry in the last 12 months, the median sold price in AL5 is £790,000, up 5.2% on the previous year (£750,750).

Latest recorded sales in AL5

Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Who lives here? Central Bedfordshire demographics

Census 2021 figures for the wider Central Bedfordshire district (294,252 residents, 120,754 households):

Source: ONS Census 2021 (district level — the finest openly licensed cut we republish). © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Schools in and around AL5

Source: DfE Get Information about Schools (England & Wales). Check Ofsted report cards for inspection detail — headline one-word grades were retired in 2024.

Food hygiene ratings in AL5

190 rated food businesses operate in AL5. 133 hold the top rating of 5, 29 are rated 4, and 5 are rated 2 or below.

Among the 5-rated: A Little Lunch Club, AB Dance LLP, Aldwickbury Park Golf Club, Aldwickbury School, Amble Inn.

Source: Food Standards Agency, food hygiene ratings (FHRS) open data.

Energy performance (EPC) in AL5

From a sample of 130 Energy Performance Certificates across 10 AL5 postcodes, the most common rating is band D (average band D). 31% of sampled homes are rated C or better.

Source: MHCLG Energy Performance of Buildings Data (England & Wales), sampled at postcode level and refreshed monthly. Individual certificates are on each postcode’s page.

Phone area codes for Central Bedfordshire

Landlines around AL5 typically use:

Had a call from an unknown number? Use our free UK phone number checker to see who called.

What's it like living in AL5?

Postcodes in AL5

Neighbouring districts

All St Albans (AL) postcode districts ›

Frequently asked questions

Sources: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, police.uk street-level crime, Ofcom Connected Nations, ONS Census 2021, DfE Get Information about Schools, Food Standards Agency FHRS — all © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are area aggregates; individual addresses vary. Energy performance (EPC) data will be added when our Open Data Communities registration is approved.