Swire House 59 Buckingham Gate London SW1E 6AJ Data via plota.co.uk

Pending 25/09281/FULL
Council
Westminster 3.5/10
Date received
22 Dec 2025
Date validated
22 Dec 2025
Postcode
SW1E 6AJ
Freehold owner
Show

Description

Alterations to front ground floor entrance including new revolving door, new pass door, new external glazing, new hard/soft landscaping and metal planters; and installation of a new gate enclosure to rear access (Spenser Street). Data via plota.co.uk

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Last checked

Decision outlook

Plota predicted a decision around 5 Oct 2026; it is now day 287.

Day 287, past the statutory target. 74% of full applications in Westminster are decided within thirteen weeks; extensions of time are common, and the council need not decide on the day. Last seen undecided on 3 Oct 2026.

Day 287231 days past the 56-day target
42%decided within 8 weeks
86%approved
1,308decided in the last year

Plota live figures for full applications decided by Westminster in the last twelve months, from validation. Westminster decision record →

Site constraints 11

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 ↗
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 Named permitted development rights are withdrawn here.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 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 ↗
Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
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.
6 listed buildings within 150 m
Nearest: Bluecoat School (National Trust), Grade I, 46 m away · 1 Grade I, 5 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 6 with distances
Historic England ↗
Opportunity area
Where the London Plan expects significant growth.
Boundaries are indicative and the borough holds the detailed plan.
Also on the record
Conservation area 29 m away: Birdcage Walk; Inside the City of Westminster built-up area; Town centre 20 m away: Victoria Street.
Not affected
Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 3 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England 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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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

Freehold boundary: © Crown copyright and database rights 2026, HM Land Registry. Polygons © Crown copyright and database rights 2026 Ordnance Survey 100026316. Conditions of use

Freehold owner and leaseholders: Information produced by HM Land Registry. © Crown copyright 2026. Source: HM Land Registry, UK and overseas companies that own property in England and Wales, September 2026 release.