1 Bear Street London WC2H 7AR Data via plota.co.uk
25/04505/ADV - Advert Application (ADV)
Refused
Proposal
Display of three externally illuminated advertisement panels measuring 2.85m x 3.35m, 2.5m x 2.6m and 2.6m x 2.6m (Site includes 1 - 4 Bear Street). Data via plota.co.uk
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View original council record ↗Last checked
Application progress
✓
Received
1 Jul 2025
✗
Refused
8 Jul 2025
✗
Appeal dismissed
Refused on 8 Jul 2025 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
Documents 8
Decision & officer reports 2
Plans & drawings 3
Application forms 1
Site constraints 10
Leicester Square 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.
2 Article 4 directions
Article 4 Basement Development Permitted Rights Removed · Article 4 Direction Class E To C3 In Central Activities Zone. Named permitted development rights are withdrawn here.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: City of Westminster APA 1.2
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.
Town centre: West End
A designated centre in the London Plan.
Shops, services and active frontages are protected in centres, and main town centre uses are steered here first.
National infrastructure project 372 m away: Thames Tideway Tunnel
The site is 372 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, 15 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.
36 listed buildings within 150 m
Nearest: The London Hippodrome, Crown Public House, and 7-10 Cranbourn Street, Grade II, 22 m away · 3 Grade II*, 33 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 36 with distances
- 22 mThe London Hippodrome, Crown Public House, and 7-10 Cranbourn StreetGrade II
- 51 mWyndhams TheatreGrade II*
- 56 mChurch of Notre Dame de FranceGrade II*
- 73 m34 and 35, Lisle Street Wc2Grade II
- 81 m8-10, Little Newport Street Wc2Grade II
- 81 m11, Little Newport Street Wc2Grade II
- 81 m20 AND 20A, NEWPORT COURT WC2 (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 81 m14, Little Newport Street Wc2Grade II
- 81 m15, Little Newport Street Wc2Grade II
- 86 m18, Newport Court Wc2Grade II
- 88 m21-24, NEWPORT COURT WC2 (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 88 m19, Newport Court Wc2Grade II
- 89 mTwo lamp posts outside 7 and 21 Cecil CourtGrade II
- 91 mThe AlberyGrade II
- 92 m14-27, Lisle Street Wc2Grade II
- 92 m25, Newport Court Wc2Grade II
- 93 m4-8, NEWPORT PLACE WC2 (See details for further address information)Grade II
- 94 m26, Newport Court Wc2Grade II
- 97 mWestminster County CourtGrade II
- 105 mWilliam Shakespeare Statue and Fountain With Busts of Hogarth, Hunter,newton and Reynolds in Garden of SquareGrade II
- 115 mVentilation Lamp Standard Numbered 35 on Island North of Irving StreetGrade II
- 118 mThe Garrick TheatreGrade II*
- 119 mThe Salisbury Public House and 91-93, St Martin's LaneGrade II
- 121 m41, Gerrard Street W1Grade II
- 122 m47, Gerrard Street W1Grade II
- 124 m40, Gerrard Street W1Grade II
- 127 m39, Gerrard Street W1Grade II
- 134 mDuke of York's TheatreGrade II
- 136 m36, Gerrard Street W1Grade II
- 142 m62, St Martin's Lane Wc2Grade II
- 145 m5, Great Newport Street Wc2Grade II
- 146 m3, Gerrard Street W1Grade II
- 146 mMr Fogg's TavernGrade II
- 147 m4 and 5, Gerrard Street W1Grade II
- 149 m6, Gerrard Street W1Grade II
- 150 mLISLE STREET WC2 (See details for further address information)Grade II
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 6b (excellent), TfL 2023, for the 100 m square.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site
Checked on 1 November 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
- Advert Application (ADV)
- Postcode
- WC2H 7DZ
- Received
- 1 Jul 2025
- Validated
- 1 Jul 2025
- Ward
- St James's
- Case officer
- Show
- Target decision
- 26 Aug 2025
- Decision
- Application Refused
- Decision date
- 8 Jul 2025
- Decision level
- Delegated Decision
- Applicant
- Show
- Agent
- SM Planning
How this decision compares
Decided in 7 days from validation, 35 days faster than Westminster's median of 42 for signs and adverts. Refused, as 17% of signs and adverts here are.
This one7d
Council42d
UK55d
67%decided within 8 weeks
83%approved
1,207decided in the last year
Plota live figures for signs and adverts decided by Westminster in the last twelve months, from validation. Westminster decision record →
Public comments
No public comments yet.
Last counted 19 Oct 2026
Consultation & key dates
- Alt. reference
- PP-14133376
- Planning Portal ref
- PP-14133376
- Env. assessment
- No
Historical activity at this location
25 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.
Within ~100m
Nearby activity
2025
Victory House 14 Leicester Square London WC2H 7NG
Display of three internally illuminated fascia signs measuring 0.7m x 5.8m, 0.7m x 2.34m…
2025
Approved
1 Leicester Place London WC2H 7BP
Removal and replacement of 3 existing antennas with 3 new antennas; 15 RRUs, 1 GPS nodule…
2025
3 Cranbourn Street London WC2H 7AL
Display of internally illuminated fascia sign measuring 0.275m x 1.22m.
2025
29 - 30 Leicester Square London WC2H 7LA
Alterations to ground floor frontage on Charing Cross Road elevation.
2025
20 - 21 Leicester Square London WC2H 7JX
Display of two internally illuminated fascia signs measuring 1m x 3m, 0.345m x 0.775m. [S…
2025
Wyndhams Theatre Charing Cross Road London WC2H 0DA
Display of digital sign, set within recess on wall under the theatre entrance canopy meas…
2025
Wyndhams Theatre Charing Cross Road London WC2H 0DA
Digital display sign, set within recess on wall under the theatre entrance canopy. (Linke…
2025
20 - 21 Leicester Square London WC2H 7JX
Display of two internally illuminated fascia signs measuring 1m x 3m, 0.345m x 0.775m and…
2025
20 - 21 Leicester Square London WC2H 7JX
Alterations to shopfront including replacement of existing louvres and the extension of t…
2025
Approved
The Hippodrome 10 - 14 Cranbourn Street London WC2H 7JH
Display of an externally illuminated hanging sign measuring 1.64m X 1.56m. Linked with 25…
2025
Approved
Basement And Ground Floor Unit 2B 10 - 14 Cranbourn Street London WC2H 7AG
Installation of a signage to the external elevation of the building fronting on to Cranbo…
2025
1 Leicester Place London WC2H 7BP
Variation of condition 1 of planning permission dated 12 February 2015 (RN24/05639/FULL)…
2025
30 Charing Cross Road London WC2H 0DE
Increase in size of restaurant (Class E) including extract ducting.
2025
Approved
Cranbourn Street London
Display of two internally illuminated star nets each measuring 10.3m x 9.7m x 0.75m hung…
2025
3 Cranbourn Street London WC2H 7AL
Display of externally illuminated A2 off sets VUE letters halo illuminated and B2 off set…
2025
Withdrawn
30 Charing Cross Road London WC2H 0DE
Use of basement, ground and first floors as restaurant/hot food take away (sui generis) a…
2025
Approved
29 - 30 Leicester Square London WC2H 7LA
Removal of existing kitchen extract duct and installation of emergency mechanical smoke e…
2025
Withdrawn
30 Charing Cross Road London WC2H 0DE
Extension of extract duct between ground and first floor level within the rear lightwell.
2025
Refused
15A Little Newport Street London WC2H 7JJ
Installation of an externally illuminated fascia sign measuring approx. 0.5m x 0.8m and a…
2025
Refused
15A Little Newport Street London WC2H 7JJ
Display of an externally illuminated fascia sign measuring approx. 0.5m x 0.8m and an ext…
2022
Approved
10-14 Cranbourn Street London WC2H 7NG
Display of six internally illuminated star signs each measuring 1m x 0.95m and one intern…
2022
Refused
Basement And Ground Floor Unit 2B 10-14 Cranbourn Street London WC2H 7AG
Display of digital advertising screens measuring 5.00m x 0.50m with integrated LED illumi…
2022
Refused
Basement And Ground Floor Unit 2B 10-14 Cranbourn Street London WC2H 7AG
Installation of digital advertising screens measuring 5.00m x 0.50m with integrated LED i…
2022
Refused
48 Charing Cross Road London WC2H 0BS
Display of three internally illuminated fascia signs measuring 0.21m x 1.51m
2022
21 Charing Cross Road London WC2H 0ET
Use of an area of the public highway measuring 3.0m x 3.30m for the placing of four table…
Westminster
Planning Authority Score
3.5/10
Below average
#221 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Other 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
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1 Bear Street London WC2H 7AR
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