Dolphin Square London Data via plota.co.uk

26/00196/FULL - Full Planning Permission Application Approved
Change of useCommercial premises

Proposal

Use of part first floor of amenity block as a café / bar (Sui Generis) (Retrospective). Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
14 Jan 2026
✓
Validated
9 Apr 2026
✓
Approved
22 May 2026

Approved on 22 May 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 2 Aug 2026

Documents

View the documents on the council's website ↗

Associated applications 3

Site constraints 12

Flood zone 3, rivers and sea
High chance: a 1 in 100 or greater annual chance from rivers, or 1 in 200 from the sea. Any development here needs a flood risk assessment. Defences are not counted.
The Environment Agency flood map for planning. Homes in zone 3 must also pass the sequential test. Surface water flooding is a separate map.
Flood map ↗
Pimlico 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
Article 4 Basement Development Permitted Rights Removed. Named permitted development rights are withdrawn here.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.
National infrastructure project: Thames Tideway Tunnel
The site is inside 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, 42 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 ↗
Archaeological priority area: City of Westminster APA 3.2
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: Westminster 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 ↗
8 listed buildings within 150 m
Nearest: 76-108, St George's Square Sw1, Grade II, 10 m away · 8 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 8 with distances
Historic England ↗
Registered park or garden 20 m away: Dolphin Square Gardens
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.
Also on the record
Inside the City of Westminster built-up area; Public transport access: PTAL 2 (poor), TfL 2023, for the 100 m square; Priority habitat 47 m away: Deciduous woodland.
Not affected
Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. 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.

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Important details

Council
Westminster
Application type
Full Planning Permission Application
Received
14 Jan 2026
Validated
9 Apr 2026
Ward
Pimlico South
Case officer
Show
Target decision
4 Jun 2026
Decision
Application Permitted
Decision date
22 May 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Agent
Montagu Evans LLP

How this decision compares

Decided in 43 days from validation, 14 days faster than Westminster's median of 57 for changes of use. Approved, as 83% of changes of use here are.

49%decided within 8 weeks
83%approved
172decided in the last year

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

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14586945
Planning Portal ref
PP-14586945
Comments by
1 Apr 2026
Site or press notice
11 Mar 2026
Env. assessment
No
Westminster
Planning Authority Score
3.5/10
Below average
#221 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Westminster is slower than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #258 out of 296. Only 28% of applications have the time limit extended, well below the 41% national average - the council usually decides on time. Westminster is also one of the strictest councils - it refuses more householder applications than almost any other, with only 81% approved vs 90% nationally.

One of the strictest councils
only 81% approved vs 90% nationally
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Westminster decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
86%
Overall approval rate
Below avg (87%) #201 of 296
81%
Householder approved
Below avg (90%) #277 of 296
44%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #258 of 296
28%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #46 of 296
83%
Minor dwellings approved
12 decided (1-9 homes)
67%
Major dwellings approved
3 decided (10+ homes)
81%
Change of use approved
133 decided
4,602
Total decisions
648 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings