Third Floor South Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LA Data via plota.co.uk

26/05163/LBC - Listed Building Consent Application Approved
Extensions & alterationsListed buildings

Proposal

Internal Alterations to first floor mezzanine. Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
30 Jul 2026
✓
Validated
10 Aug 2026
✓
Approved
24 Aug 2026

Approved on 24 Aug 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 25 Aug 2026

Documents 14

Decision & officer reports 2

PDF GRANT OF LISTED BUILDING CONSENT [PE] Decision Notice · 24 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF DELEGATED REPORT Report · 24 Aug 2026 View ↗

Statements & assessments 2

PDF DESIGN & ACCESS STATEMENT Design and Access Statement · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF HERITAGE STATEMENT Heritage Statement · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗

Plans & drawings 4

PDF EXISTING FLOOR PLAN Drawing · 10 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF GENERAL ARRANGEMENT PLAN Drawing · 10 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF LOCATION PLAN Location Plan · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF PROPOSED LAYOUT Drawing · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗

Application forms 1

PDF APPLICATIONFORMREDACTED Application Form · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗

Other documents 5

PDF ACK-GENERAL LETTER (G/P/C) Background Papers · 20 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION Other · 5 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF 1ST INVALID LETTER Background Papers · 5 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF COVERING LETTER Background Papers · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF 412_JBA_00_ES_G_2102_01 ENTRE SOL FURNITURE Background Papers · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗

All documents on the council site ↗

Site constraints 11

Grade II listed: Australia House and Government of Victoria Offices
List entry 1357166 · The pin is inside its outline · 15 more listed buildings within 150 m (5 Grade I, 1 Grade II*, 8 Grade II)
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 the other 15 with distances
Historic England ↗
Strand 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 ↗
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.
Council record ↗
National infrastructure project 40 m away: Thames Tideway Tunnel
The site is 40 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, 581 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 ↗
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.
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
Registered park or garden 236 m away: Victoria Embankment Gardens; 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 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
Listed Building Consent Application
Postcode
WC2B 4LA
Received
30 Jul 2026
Validated
10 Aug 2026
Ward
St James's
Case officer
Show
Target decision
5 Oct 2026
Decision
Application Permitted
Decision date
24 Aug 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Smith Jenkins Ltd

How this decision compares

Decided in 14 days from validation, 41 days faster than Westminster's median of 55 for extensions. Approved, as 88% of extensions here are.

56%decided within 8 weeks
88%approved
1,675decided in the last year

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

Public comments

No public comments yet.

Last counted 25 Aug 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15124699
Planning Portal ref
PP-15124699
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
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Internal office refurbishment to 5th floor, Strand wing, of Australia House. Additional F…
25/07591/LBC
2025
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Internal office refurbishment to 5th floor, Strand wing, of Australia House. Additional F…
25/07590/FULL
2025
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Repairs and waterproofing works to inside of vaults below the pavement, repair the water…
25/06364/LBC
2025
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Repairs and waterproofing works to inside of vaults below the pavement, repair the water…
25/06363/FULL
2025
Surrey Street London
Installation of a wayfinding information map and board to the entrance of the underground…
25/02650/LBC
2025
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Internal reconfiguration of part of an office space on 3rd floor, to Aldwych side of the…
25/01529/LBC
2025
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Demolishing and redecoration of internal modern stud partitions with on a modern office s…
25/01078/LBC
2024
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Alterations to external entrance doors to the Strand and Aldwych elevations and internal…
24/07007/FULL
2024
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Alterations to external entrance doors to the Strand and Aldwych elevations and internal…
24/07008/LBC
2024
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Internal alterations to an existing ground floor office. (Linked with 24/06510/FULL)
24/06511/LBC
2024
Kings College 160 Strand London WC2R 2LS
Display of non-illuminated sculpture measuring 2.4m x 1.5m for a temporary period form 20…
24/06132/ADV
2024
Clement House 99 - 101 Aldwych WC2B 4JF
Replacement and installation of air conditioning units on the rooftop of Clement House an…
24/03809/LBC
2024
Clement House 99 - 101 Aldwych WC2B 4JF
Replacement and installation of air conditioning units on the rooftop of Clement House an…
24/03808/FULL
2024 Approved
265 Strand London WC2R 1BH
Display of two halo illuminated vertical signs either side of Strand entrance each measur…
24/02071/ADV
2024
265 Strand London WC2R 1BH
Installation of new plant and plant screen at roof level
24/01953/FULL
2024 Approved
Columbia House 69 Aldwych London WC2B 4RR
Display of two LED digital screens measuring 120cm x 68cm.
24/00997/ADV
2024 Approved
Pethwick-Lawrence House 3 Clement's Inn London WC2A 2AZ
The replacement of three antennas at 46.50m and 44.50m on the rooftop. The replacement of…
24/00950/TELNOT
2023 Approved
265 Strand London WC2R 1BH
Alterations to including replacement of canopy, entrance doors and two large ground floor…
23/06411/FULL
2023 Approved
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LU
Installation of handrail to staircase at 5th and 6th floor levels to match existing.
23/07371/LBC
2023 Approved
Columbia House 69 Aldwych London WC2B 4RR
Display of one fascia sign measuring 50 cm x 140 cm and one plaque adjacent to door measu…
23/04620/ADV
2016 Approved
180 Strand London WC2R 1EA
Use of part of the first and second floors as an event space by the British Fashion Counc…
16/03169/FULL
2016 Approved
Australia House Strand London WC2B 4LA
Replacement of internal modern flush doors to meet current fire safety standards.
16/03981/CLLB
2016 Approved
265 Strand London WC2R 1BH
Display of a double-sided freestanding advertisement panel consisting of 1 LED digital sc…
16/02236/ADV
2016 Approved
Columbia House 69 Aldwych London WC2B 4RR
Use of one area of the public highway measuring 11.4m x 1.45m for the placing of 5 tables…
16/01091/TCH
2016 Approved
Aldwych House 71-91 Aldwych London WC2B 4HN
Display of a double-sided advertisement panel consisting of 1 LED digital screen and 1 st…
16/02181/ADV
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
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings