4 Bloomsbury Place London Camden WC1A 2QA Data via plota.co.uk

2025/0636/P - Full Planning Permission Approved
Change of useSchools, care & communityCommercial premises

Proposal

Change of Use from Offices (Class E) to a flexible Use as either Offices (Class E) and/or Education Class F1 (a) Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
24 Apr 2025
✓
Approved
17 Apr 2026

Approved on 17 Apr 2026 · Delegated · Last checked 29 Sept 2026

Documents

View the documents on the council's website ↗

Site constraints 11

30 listed buildings within 150 m of the postcode pin
Nearest: Numbers 1-5 and Attached Railings, Grade II, the postcode pin is inside its outline · 2 Grade II*, 28 Grade II
The site itself is not listed. Listed building consent is needed for work that affects the special interest of a listed building, inside or out, on top of planning permission. Setting can be a consideration for buildings nearby; there is no fixed radius.
Show all 30 with distances
Historic England ↗
Bloomsbury conservation area
Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.
The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.
Council document ↗
Article 4 direction
Basements. Named permitted development rights are withdrawn here.
An Article 4 direction withdraws particular permitted development rights, so work that would normally need no application needs one here. Not every council has published its directions.
Archaeological priority area
An assessment or field evaluation may be asked for before ground works.
The council or Historic England considers archaeology likely here. A desk-based assessment, and sometimes trial trenching, can be asked for with the application.
Air quality management area: Camden AQMA
The council has declared the area as failing an air quality objective.
Schemes that add traffic, parking or combustion plant are assessed against the area's action plan and may need an air quality assessment.
Council record ↗
Registered park or garden about 39 m away: Bloomsbury Square
Its setting is a consideration for work nearby.
Registered parks and gardens, battlefields, world heritage sites and protected wrecks are designated heritage assets: harm needs clear and convincing justification.
Historic England ↗
Central activities zone
The core of central London in the London Plan.
Offices, culture and the other strategic functions of the centre take priority over new housing here.
National infrastructure project about 947 m away: Thames Tideway Tunnel
The site is about 947 m from the project boundary. Waste water treatment, decided. The project page says whether consent was granted. Also within 2 km: London Strategic Heat Main Project (at pre-application, about 889 m).
Nationally significant infrastructure projects (power stations, electricity lines, pipelines, major roads and railways, harbours, airports and reservoirs) are consented by a Secretary of State under the Planning Act 2008, after an examination by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than by the council. The boundary is the one the Inspectorate consults on and can change as the scheme does. Projects are shown within 2 km of the site.
Planning Inspectorate project page ↗
Also on the record
Inside the Camden built-up area; Public transport access: PTAL 6b (excellent), TfL 2023, for the 100 m square; Designated open space about 22 m away.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Planning Inspectorate, Transport for London (public transport access levels, Powered by TfL Open Data, OGL v3.0, contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025) and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

Building

Floor area421 m² (4,532 sq ft)
Energy ratingC (asset rating 66)
UseB1 Offices and Workshop businesses
HeatingAir Conditioning

From the energy performance certificate lodged in September 2019, the latest held for this property, matched to this application by its address. The building may have changed since. View the certificate

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Other new applications on this street

22 Oct 2026Pending

4 Bloomsbury Place London WC1A 2QA

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Important details

Council
Camden
Application type
Full Planning Permission
Postcode
WC1A 2QA
Validated
24 Apr 2025
Ward
Bloomsbury
Case officer
Show
Decision
Granted Subject to a Section 106 Legal Agreement
Decision date
17 Apr 2026
Decision level
Delegated
Applicant
Show
Agent
MB&A Limited

How this decision compares

Decided in 358 days from validation, 254 days slower than Camden's median of 104 for changes of use. Approved, as 87% of changes of use here are.

34%decided within 8 weeks
87%approved
15%go to committee

Plota live figures for changes of use decided by Camden in the last twelve months, from validation. Camden decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Comments by
25 May 2025

Historical activity at this location

25 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2024 Approved
4-6 Bedford Place London Camden WC1B 5JD
Condition 4f of planning permission ref. 2023/1315/P states: Before the relevant part of…
2024/4330/P
2024 Approved
76 Southampton Row London WC1B 4AR
Retention of four air conditioning units at the rear of the ground floor premises
2024/4384/P
2024 Approved
80-82 Southampton Row London Camden WC1B 4BB
Installation of a replacement awning to shopfront, a small louvre within the shopfront, t…
2023/5323/P
2024 Approved
86 Southampton Row London WC1B 4BB
Display of 1 x internally illuminated (halo-lit) fascia sign and 1 x internally illuminat…
2024/5696/A
2024 Approved
Victoria House 37-63 Southampton Row London WC1B 4DA
Variation of condition 3 of listed building consent 2024/4257/L approved 11/11/2024 for i…
2024/5625/L
2024 Withdrawn
22 Bloomsbury Square London WC1A 2NS
Installation of a signboard in garden facing Bloomsbury Square and Bedford Place.
2024/5205/L
2024 Withdrawn
22 Bloomsbury Square London WC1A 2NS
Installation of a signboard in garden facing Bloomsbury Square and Bedford Place.
2024/4124/P
2024 Approved
Victoria House 37-63 Southampton Row London WC1B 4DA
Details of new flooring and method for strengthening the roof level balustrade required b…
2024/5126/L
2024 Approved
Victoria House 37-63 Southampton Row London WC1B 4DA
Internal amendments to the layout and finishes at Basement Levels 1 and 2, installation o…
2024/5276/P
2024 Approved
4-6 Bedford Place London Camden WC1B 5JD
Condition 4f of planning permission ref. 2023/1315/P states: Before the relevant part of…
2024/5289/P
2024 Approved
37-63 Victoria House Southampton Row London Camden WC1B 4DA
Internal amendments to the layout and finishes at Basement Levels 1 and 2, installation o…
2024/4257/L
2024 Approved
19 Bloomsbury Square London WC1A 2NS
REAR GARDEN: 1 x Ash (T1) - Crown reduce 2.5m to clear surrounding buildings. Lift crown…
2024/4356/T
2024 Approved
4-6 Bedford Place London Camden WC1B 5JD
Approval of details: Condition 4a of planning permission ref. 2023/1315/P states: “Before…
2024/4271/P
2024 Approved
5 Bloomsbury Place London WC1A 2QP
Change of Use from Class E (Commercial, Business and Service) to Class F1(a) Provision of…
2024/0787/P
2024 Approved
31 Southampton Row London Camden WC1B 5HJ
External alterations and internal refurbishments to include creation of a new office entr…
2024/2017/L
2024 Approved
4-6 Bedford Place London WC1B 5JD
Installation of mechanical ventilation units within the roofs of nos 4, 5, and 6 in assoc…
2024/2965/L
2024 Approved
4-6 Bedford Place London WC1B 5JD
Installation of mechanical ventilation units within the roofs of nos 4, 5, and 6 in assoc…
2024/2794/P
2024 Approved
4-6 Bedford Place London Camden WC1B 5JD
Approval of Details of Condition 4 of Listed Building Consent 2023/1398/L dated 26 Septem…
2024/3664/P
2024 Approved
37-63 Victoria House Southampton Row London Camden WC1B 4DA
Installation of partitions, suspended ceilings and associated MEP works at basement level…
2024/2076/L
2024 Approved
4-6 Bedford Place London Camden WC1B 5JD
Replacement of rear garden wall of No.5 Bedford Place
2024/1786/L
2017 Approved
114-118 Southampton Row London WC1B 5AA
Erection of fifth floor extension to provide new office (Class B1a) floorspace; erection…
2017/0812/P
2017 Approved
Victoria House 37-63 Southampton Row London WC1B 4AD
Installation of partitions to basement to provide secure storage and associated works to…
2017/1420/L
2017 Withdrawn
92 Southampton Row London WC1B 4BH
Erection of 1st - 4th floor level rear extension to provide an additional 4 hotel bedroom…
2017/0992/P
2016 Approved
Unit 3 Victoria House 37-63 Southampton Row London WC1B 4DA
Installation of internal signage, addition of internal partitions and associated alterati…
2016/6548/L
2016 Approved
23 Bloomsbury Square London WC1A 2PJ
Internal alterations including the installation new partitions and the formation of a new…
2016/5597/L
Camden
Planning Authority Score
3.1/10
Poor
#231 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Camden is slower than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #242 out of 296. Householder applications are slightly less likely to be approved here (88%) than the national average (90%).

Slower than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Camden decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
88%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #149 of 296
88%
Householder approved
Below avg (90%) #215 of 296
49%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #242 of 296
41%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #158 of 296
90%
Minor dwellings approved
467 decided (1-9 homes)
80%
Major dwellings approved
10 decided (10+ homes)
93%
Change of use approved
46 decided
1,973
Total decisions
234 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings

Energy performance: Energy performance certificates from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright 2026.