Planning Permission in Westminster
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered planning permission for Westminster homeowners — Westminster City Council validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Westminster is among the most heritage-dense authorities in the country: the great majority of its housing sits within a conservation area — Belgravia, Mayfair, Pimlico, Bayswater, Maida Vale and St John's Wood among them — listed buildings are commonplace, and much of the residential stock is mansion-block or garden-square terrace where external alterations are tightly controlled. The character runs from stucco-fronted Georgian and Victorian townhouses and garden-square terraces to red-brick and Portland-stone mansion blocks across the West End and Marylebone. Permitted development rarely applies, and applications turn on careful, context-led drawings and, frequently, listed-building consent.
Because so much of the city lies within a conservation area and a high proportion of buildings are listed, a full planning application — and often listed-building consent — is usually required even for modest works in Belgravia, Mayfair, Pimlico or Bayswater. The City Plan basement policy requires a basement impact assessment and limits the scale of any below-ground extension, and mansion-block and estate-management leases frequently require the freeholder's consent alongside planning, since either the council or the freeholder can block an otherwise sound proposal. We take a validation-first approach, resolving the conservation, listing, basement and lease position for your exact address before a line is drawn.
We prepare Westminster planning and listed-building submissions to the council's exacting validation and design standards, producing the same council-accepted drawings an architect would — usually at around 30% less. The fee is fixed and agreed up front, drawings typically turn around in about seven days, and we redraw free until the council approves. Most householder applications are determined within the statutory eight-week period once validated, though listed-building, basement and conservation cases frequently attract additional consultation, so a complete, correctly scaled submission that answers the heritage questions early is the best way to keep the application moving.
Planning in Westminster: what to know before you apply
Because the great majority of Westminster falls within a conservation area — and a high proportion of buildings are listed — a full planning application, and often listed-building consent, is usually required even for modest works. The City Plan basement policy requires a basement impact assessment and limits scale, and mansion-block leases frequently require the freeholder's consent alongside planning. We resolve these before drawing.
Typical Westminster housing stock
Stucco-fronted Georgian and Victorian townhouses, garden-square terraces, red-brick and Portland-stone mansion blocks, and a very high concentration of listed buildings across the West End and the garden squares.
Areas we regularly draw for in Westminster
Belgravia · Mayfair · Pimlico · Marylebone · Bayswater · Maida Vale · St John's Wood · Westminster
What the numbers say about Westminster planning decisions
These are Westminster City Council’s own reported figures, published by government rather than estimated by us. They are what we design against — a borough that refuses one householder application in five needs a different drawing package from one that refuses one in twenty.
Householder decisions in Westminster
Every householder application Westminster City Council decided over the four quarters to 2026 Q1.
| Householder applications decided | 418 |
|---|---|
| Granted | 340 |
| Refused | 78 |
| GrantedEngland average 90% | 81% |
| Of which prior approvalsPrior approvals are granted far more often than full applications, so this share moves the rate above | 45% |
| Decided within 8 weeksExcludes prior approvals. England average 93% | 79% |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
Permitted development in Westminster
Larger householder extensions put to Westminster City Council under the prior-approval route, and lawful-development certificates decided, over eight quarters.
| Prior approval not requiredWent ahead without a full application | 0 |
|---|---|
| Prior approval granted | 0 |
| Prior approval refused | 0 |
| Building upwards, prior approval refused | 0 |
| Certificates of lawful development decided | 376 |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS1 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
Designated areas in Westminster
Conservation areas Westminster City Council has published to the national register, and when it designated them. Where a borough has supplied no Article 4 data the row is omitted rather than shown as zero.
| Conservation areas on the register | 56 |
|---|---|
| First designatedOf the 56 whose designation date the register records | 2,008 |
| Most recent designation | 2,010 |
| Article 4 directions in force | 10 |
Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
If Westminster City Council refuses: appeal outcomes
Planning appeals against Westminster City Council determined by the Planning Inspectorate, 2021–2026. Enforcement notices and withdrawn cases are excluded.
| Appeals determined | 572 |
|---|---|
| Allowed | 208 |
| Dismissed | 364 |
| Householder appeals allowedFrom 124 householder appeals. England average 36% | 35% |
Source: Planning Inspectorate appeals casework. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
Planning Permission for Westminster homes: the package and the process
A householder application is refused validation far more often than it is refused permission, and almost always for the same reasons: a location plan at the wrong scale, no red line around the application site, a missing ownership certificate, or elevations that do not show every face of the building affected. We prepare the full submission set — location plan, block plan, existing and proposed floor plans, elevations and sections — so the case officer receives a complete case on day one.
Once the application is live we stay on it. Officers routinely come back with questions about materials, boundary treatment or a dimension they cannot read off the drawings, and a fast, drawn answer is usually the difference between a decision inside the statutory period and a request to withdraw and resubmit.
Which route applies is decided by the building before it is decided by policy. A house that has never been extended usually has allowances left to use; a flat, a listed building or a home in a conservation area often has none, and the same drawing set then has to make a design case rather than a compliance one.
Do I need planning permission for an extension in London?
Many single-storey rear extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings fall under permitted development rights and do not need a full planning application — but London's dense housing stock, conservation areas and Article 4 directions frequently withdraw those rights. Before you pay for a full application, we check your property against the current permitted development thresholds and your borough's local constraints.
Where permitted development applies, we recommend a Lawful Development Certificate instead of full planning — it is faster, cheaper and gives you a legal document confirming the work was lawful. Where a full application is genuinely required, we prepare it properly the first time.
Permitted development vs a full planning application
Permitted development lets you build within defined volumetric limits without committee review. A full householder application is assessed against the borough's local plan for scale, daylight, neighbour impact and design. We advise which route your project qualifies for and why.
Article 4 directions and conservation areas
If your home sits in a conservation area or under an Article 4 direction, permitted development rights are often removed — meaning even modest changes need consent. Each borough page lists the local directions and conservation areas we routinely design around.
How do you apply for planning permission through the London Planning Portal?
We manage the full lifecycle of your submission — survey, drawings, supporting documents and officer liaison — so you never have to decode a validation checklist yourself.
Phase 1 — existing and proposed site surveys
A laser-measured survey captures your property exactly, so existing and proposed drawings match reality millimetre for millimetre.
Phase 2 — technical drawing package
Site location plan, block plan, floor plans, elevations and sections drawn to your borough's scale and formatting requirements, with a design and access statement where needed.
Phase 3 — liaison with the planning officer
We answer the council's queries, negotiate amendments, and redraw free until the decision lands.
How long does planning permission take, and what does it cost?
Drawings are typically ready within 7 days of survey. Your council then has a statutory 8 weeks to decide a householder application. Our drawing fees are fixed and quoted upfront — the table below shows typical packages.
| Package | Production window | Compliance layer | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permitted Development pack | 7–10 working days | Lawful Development Certificate submission | £950–£1,450 |
| Full Planning pack | 10–14 working days | Council liaison & design statement | £1,600–£2,400 |
| Planning + Building Regs pack | 14–21 working days | Structural calculations included | £2,200–£3,850 |
Planning Permission across Westminster
Planning Permission in Westminster — FAQs
How long does it take to get planning permission from a London council?+
What happens if the council refuses?+
Do you cover my borough?+
Is the fee really fixed?+
Do I need planning permission for works in Westminster?+
I live in a mansion block — what extra consent might I need?+
Will I need a Basement Impact Assessment in Westminster?+
How long does Westminster City Council take to decide?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Westminster?+
Get your free Westminster planning assessment
Tell us your Westminster address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.