40 Kensington Square, London, W8 5HP Data via plota.co.uk

ARB/25/05002 - Prune Approved
Trees & landscaping

Proposal

Prune 1 x Tree of Heaven and 1 x Magnolia (rear garden) Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
14 Aug 2025
✓
Approved
19 Sept 2025

Approved on 19 Sept 2025 · Last checked 23 Oct 2026

Documents

View the documents on the council's website ↗

Site constraints 13

47 listed buildings within 150 m of the postcode pin
Nearest: 40, Kensington Square W8, Grade II, the postcode pin is inside its outline · 2 Grade II*, 44 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 47 with distances
Historic England ↗
Kensington 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.
Council document ↗
Article 4 direction
Article 4 - No 100. Named permitted development rights are withdrawn here.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.
Tree preservation order
Consent is needed before work on protected trees.
Not every council has published its orders as open data, so no order shown is not proof there is none.
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: Kensington and Chelsea 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.
Registered park or garden about 50 m away: The Roof Garden, 99 High St, Kensington
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 ↗
Also on the record
Inside the Kensington and Chelsea built-up area; Public transport access: PTAL 4 (good), TfL 2023, for the 100 m square; National infrastructure project about 1127 m away: London Strategic Heat Main Project, at pre-application; Town centre about 11 m away: Kensington High Street; Designated open space about 25 m away.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 2 November 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.

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Other new applications on this street

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12 Kensington Square, London, W8 5HE

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Important details

Council
Kensington and Chelsea
Application type
Prune
Postcode
W8 5HP
Received
14 Aug 2025
Validated
14 Aug 2025
Ward
Queen's Gate
Case officer
Show
Target decision
25 Sept 2025
Decision
Granted
Decision date
19 Sept 2025
Applicant
Show
Freehold owner
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 36 days from validation, about the council's usual 39 days. Approved, as 98% of tree and landscaping works here are.

63%decided within 8 weeks
98%approved
865decided in the last year

Plota live figures for tree and landscaping works decided by Kensington and Chelsea in the last twelve months, from validation. Kensington and Chelsea decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Comments by
19 Sept 2025

Historical activity at this location

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

Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2025 Approved
18 Kensington Square, London, W8 5HH
Prune 1x Magnolia at front and 1x Magnolia at rear
ARB/25/05548
2025 Approved
Unit SU2, Barkers Arcade, 63-97 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SE
Installation of one internally illuminated hanging sign mounted behind storefront glazing.
CA/26/00111
2025 Approved
99-121 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
Prune various as specified at Kensington Roof Garden
ARB/25/05685
2025 Approved
99 Kensington High Street, London, W8
Removal and making good of all defective wall and ceiling finishes. Preparation and makin…
LB/25/04316
2025 Approved
26 Thackeray Street, London, W8 5ET
Installation of awning/canopy on front of shop with brand name
LB/25/05034
2025 Approved
Second Floor Flat, 3 Kensington Square, London, W8 5EP
Upgrade glass on front sash windows and one rear window of flat from single glazed to 'Fi…
LB/25/05004
2025 Approved
Second Floor Flat, 3 Kensington Square, London, W8 5EP
Upgrade glass on front sash windows and one rear window of flat from single glazed to 'Fi…
PP/25/05003
2025 Approved
41 Kensington Square, London, W8 5HP
FELL 1x Elderberry Tree (Sambucus nigra) and prune 1x Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima…
ARB/25/05012
2025 Approved
Unit SU2, Barkers Arcade, 63-97 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SE
Installation of 4no. vinyl logo decals to storefront glazing.
CA/25/04452
2025 Approved
Flat A, 5 Kensington Square, London, W8 5EP
Removal of bath and installation of level access shower including associated works
LB/25/04670
2025 Approved
26 Thackeray Street, London, W8 5ET
Installation of canvas awning/canopy to shop front with brand name.
CA/25/02823
2025
99-121 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
Installation of seasonal marquees in Tudor garden and Tudor walk from 30th September 2025…
LB/25/05096
2025
99-121 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
Installation of seasonal marquees in Tudor garden and Tudor walk from 30th September 2025…
PP/25/05095
2025
Unit SU2, Barkers Arcade, 63-97 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SE
Notice of Intention to Install Fixed Line Broadband Apparatus.
NOT/25/04837
2025 Refused
99-121 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
Temporary erection of seasonal marquees in Tudor Garden and Tudor Walk from 30th Septembe…
LB/25/03602
2025 Refused
99-121 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
Temporary erection of seasonal marquees in Tudor Garden and Tudor Walk from 30th Septembe…
PP/25/03601
2025
99-121 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
Retrospective consent for variations to planning and listed building consents PP/23/03798…
LB/25/04587
2025
99-121 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
Retrospective consent for variations to planning and listed building consents PP/23/03798…
PP/25/04586
2025 Approved
First Floor Flat, 3 Kensington Square, London, W8 5EP
Upgrade glass on front sash windows from single glazed to 'Fineo' with the retention of w…
LB/25/01649
2025 Approved
First Floor Flat, 3 Kensington Square, London, W8 5EP
Upgrade glass on front sash windows from single glazed to 'Fineo' with the retention of w…
PP/25/01648
2020 Approved
Convent of the Assumption, 20 Kensington Square, LONDON, W8 5HH
Prune 1 x Lime
ARB/20/05590
2020 Refused
63-97 Kensington High Street, LONDON, W8 5SE
Variation of Condition 4 (Operational Management Plan) and 5 (Opening Hours) of planning…
PP/20/03357
2020 Refused
17 Kensington Square, LONDON, W8 5HH
Prune 1x London Plane (Platanus x hispanica) at rear garden
ARB/20/04383
2020 Withdrawn
27 Kensington Square, LONDON, W8 5HH
Repairs and protection of the damaged existing lath and plaster ceilings***WITHDRAWN***
LB/20/02783
2020 Approved
31 Kensington Square, LONDON, W8 5HH
Prune 1x Magnolia and 1x Black mulberry in rear garden
ARB/20/03914
Kensington and Chelsea
Planning Authority Score
5.1/10
Average
#144 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Kensington and Chelsea ranks #174 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (94%) than the national average (90%).

These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Kensington and Chelsea decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the nine months to December 2025
93%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #58 of 296
94%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #110 of 296
61%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #174 of 296
40%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #152 of 296
94%
Minor dwellings approved
455 decided (1-9 homes)
87%
Change of use approved
53 decided
1,839
Total decisions
135 refused in the nine months to December 2025
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings

Freehold owner: 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.