Georgian terrace of dark brick houses with white sash windows, black railings and roof dormers, a red cargo bike parked outside

Westminster · London

Westminster City Council planning: validation checklist and local figures

Westminster City Council validates a householder application only when the scaled drawings, form and £548 fee arrive together. About a third of eligible householder decisions ran past 8 weeks: 66% came within it. DrawingsDirect prepares Westminster planning drawings from £745.

Fixed fee from £545 drawings + £200 survey (£745 total) · all prices

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Validation first: drawings, scale and north

The government's planning practice guidance says any plans or drawings must be drawn to an identified scale and that plans must show the direction of north. Westminster applies that standard like every other authority, and it will not start the decision period on an application that lacks them.

The statutory fee for a householder application from 1 April 2026 is £548. Our planning drawings service produces the scaled plans, elevations and sections, and our location and block plans cover the site plan the council also asks for.

Westminster's decision record

Westminster decided 366 householder applications in the four quarters from 2025 Q3 to 2026 Q2, counting prior approvals (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2).

Of those, 82% ended in a grant (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2).

Timing is the weak point. Leaving prior approvals out, 66% of householder decisions arrived within 8 weeks (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2). The 8-week period applies to an application that is not major development under article 34 of the Development Management Procedure Order 2015, so plan for the possibility of an extension of time rather than a firm date.

London mews of white-painted converted coach houses with black and white garage doors and a gas-style lamp, mansion flats beyond

Gower Mews in central London, a narrow road between brick mews buildings with garage doors on the ground floor

Westminster decided 366 householder applications in the four quarters from 2025 Q3 to 2026 Q2, counting prior approvals (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2).

Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2). www.gov.uk

Conservation areas and appeals

The national register records 56 conservation-area entries for the council area (our analysis of the MHCLG Planning Data Platform conservation-area and article-4-direction datasets). Check Westminster's conservation area map to see whether your address is in one; the guide to conservation area extension rules shows what tightens as a result. Some buildings are also listed, which is a separate consent covered in our guide to listed building consent.

The Planning Inspectorate decided 126 householder appeals in Westminster between 2021 and 2026, and 35% were allowed (our analysis of the Planning Inspectorate Casework Database).

Cost and the next step

Our planning drawings start at £745. The council fee of £548 is paid separately with the application, and the pricing page sets out what changes a quote.

If you want to read the national requirements first, the government's guidance on making an application is the primary source.

DrawingsDirect sample sheet: existing and proposed side elevations at 1:100 for a two-storey side extension to an invented house — Sample drawing

Data

Sources

Every figure on this page, where it comes from and a link to the original.

Figure	Source	Link
identified scale	Planning practice guidance, Making an application, paragraph 023 (ID 14-023-20140306): any plans or drawings must be drawn to an identified scale and plans must show the direction of north	www.gov.uk
£548	Statutory fee from 1 April 2026, SI 2012/2920 Sch 1 Pt 2 category 6(1): householder application for alterations or extensions to a single dwellinghouse	assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
366	Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2)	www.gov.uk
82%	Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2)	www.gov.uk
66%	Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2)	www.gov.uk
8 weeks	DMPO 2015 art 34(2)(b): decision period for an application that is not major development (source wording: 8 weeks beginning with the day immediately following receipt)	www.legislation.gov.uk
126	Our analysis of Planning Inspectorate Casework Database (released 1 Oct 2026 (Casework Database 2609))	www.gov.uk
35%	Our analysis of Planning Inspectorate Casework Database (released 1 Oct 2026 (Casework Database 2609))	www.gov.uk
56	Our analysis of MHCLG Planning Data Platform conservation-area and article-4-direction datasets (bulk snapshot retrieved 14 Aug 2026)	www.planning.data.gov.uk
£745	DrawingsDirect starting fixed fee for planning drawings, from the published price list	drawingsdirect.co.uk

FAQ

Questions people ask

How do I search Westminster planning applications?

The council runs a public planning register on its website where you can search by address or reference. Looking up neighbours' decisions before you design is a good habit.

Do I need planning permission for a flat in Westminster?

Flats have no permitted development rights for most extensions and alterations, so an application is usually needed. Internal works may not need one, but listed buildings need separate consent.

Will my application be decided within 8 weeks?

Eight weeks is the standard period, and in Westminster recent householder decisions met it about two times in three. Ask for an extension to be agreed in writing if the officer needs more time.

Photographs: Richard Symonds (CC BY-SA 4.0); Marathon (CC BY-SA 2.0); John Lord (CC BY-SA 2.0); John Lord (CC BY-SA 2.0).