Where in Westminster does a scheme inside an Article 4 area actually get determined?
Every Westminster postcode district we draw in, the stock that dominates
it and the authority that validates a scheme inside an Article 4 area there. Westminster fees below are the
statutory England rates for 2026, not scheme inside an Article 4 area estimates.
| Postcode | Area | Dominant stock | What it means for a scheme inside an Article 4 area |
|---|
| SW1Y | St James's | Grand Georgian and Regency terraces in Belgravia and Pimlico; Victorian and Edwardian mansion blocks; heritage-rich townhouses throughout; very high listed building density | St James's sits wholly inside SW1Y, so Westminster City Council validates every scheme inside an Article 4 area submitted from an SW1Y address. |
| W1B | Regent Street | Grand Georgian and Regency terraces in Belgravia and Pimlico; Victorian and Edwardian mansion blocks; heritage-rich townhouses throughout; very high listed building density | A scheme inside an Article 4 area at an W1B address in Regent Street is determined by Westminster City Council under its own Local Plan policies for Regent Street. |
| W1D | Soho | Georgian terraces, mixed-use | W1D covers Soho only; Westminster City Council handles the scheme inside an Article 4 area. |
| W1G | Harley Street / Marylebone | Georgian terraces, Edwardian mansion blocks | W1G covers Harley Street / Marylebone only; Westminster City Council handles the scheme inside an Article 4 area. |
| W1H | Marylebone | Georgian terraces, Edwardian mansion blocks | A scheme inside an Article 4 area at an W1H address in Marylebone is determined by Westminster City Council under its own Local Plan policies for Marylebone. |
| W1J | Mayfair | Georgian townhouses, listed buildings | Mayfair sits wholly inside W1J, so Westminster City Council validates every scheme inside an Article 4 area submitted from an W1J address. |
Which Westminster neighbourhoods suit a scheme inside an Article 4 area best?
Roof pitch, wall build-up and plot depth change every few Westminster
streets, and each one changes what a scheme inside an Article 4 area can achieve at that address.
- Belgravia (SW1X, SW1W) — scheme inside an Article 4 area work in Belgravia means regency stucco terraces, listed buildings. Belgravia is white stucco Regency terraces. Most applications on these Victorian streets are householder applications validated on existing and proposed plans throughout SW1X. Westminster City Council decides the Belgravia application, and Eaton Square anchors the Belgravia location plan.
- Marylebone (W1U, W1G, W1H) — scheme inside an Article 4 area work in Marylebone means georgian terraces, edwardian mansion blocks. Marylebone is Georgian and Victorian terraces, mansion blocks. Applications on Georgian stock here almost always need a heritage statement alongside the drawings throughout W1U. Westminster City Council decides the Marylebone application, and Marylebone High Street anchors the Marylebone location plan.
- Pimlico (SW1V) — a scheme inside an Article 4 area in Pimlico starts from regency terraces, post-war estates, and Pimlico reads as Regency stucco terraces, grid plan. Post-war stock here frequently sits inside an estate layout in SW1V. Westminster City Council assesses Pimlico scheme inside an Article 4 areas against its own Pimlico character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Pimlico references Tate Britain.
- Soho (W1D, W1F) — scheme inside an Article 4 area work in Soho means georgian terraces, mixed-use. Soho is Georgian fragments, mixed-use. Applications on Georgian stock here almost always need a heritage statement alongside the drawings throughout W1D. Westminster City Council decides the Soho application, and Soho Square anchors the Soho location plan.
- Covent Garden (WC2E, WC2H) — scheme inside an Article 4 area work in Covent Garden means georgian terraces, conversions. Covent Garden is Georgian piazza, listed buildings. Applications on Georgian stock here almost always need a heritage statement alongside the drawings throughout WC2E. Westminster City Council decides the Covent Garden application, and Royal Opera House anchors the Covent Garden location plan.
- St John's Wood (NW8) — Victorian villas, mansion blocks defines St John's Wood, where victorian villas, mansion blocks set what a scheme inside an Article 4 area can do. Most applications on these Victorian streets are householder applications validated on existing and proposed plans across NW8. Any St John's Wood scheme inside an Article 4 area is validated by Westminster City Council, with Lord's Cricket Ground the usual St John's Wood reference point on the site plan.
- Bayswater (W2) — a scheme inside an Article 4 area in Bayswater starts from victorian stucco terraces, and Bayswater reads as Victorian stucco terraces. Most applications on these Victorian streets are householder applications validated on existing and proposed plans in W2. Westminster City Council assesses Bayswater scheme inside an Article 4 areas against its own Bayswater character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Bayswater references Hyde Park.
What local planning policy applies to a scheme inside an Article 4 area in Westminster?
Westminster conservation designations: there are 56 across Westminster City Council, Marylebone, Pimlico, Soho among them. Designation costs a Westminster owner the permitted-development route: a scheme inside an Article 4 area then needs a £548 householder application over 8 weeks, in place of the £249 prior approval route that takes 6 weeks. Pimlico is the Westminster designation that most often changes a scheme inside an Article 4 area design.
What Article 4 removes near Westminster: Multiple Article 4 Directions — office-to-residential restrictions, HMO conversions, retail to residential in shopping zones. Before pricing a scheme inside an Article 4 area we check whether the NW8 address is inside the mapped area, because Westminster City Council draws the Westminster boundary street by street rather than across the whole of Westminster.
Westminster below-ground policy: Westminster basement policy restricts to single-storey, typically under 50% of rear garden footprint; lightwells and rooflights strictly controlled in conservation areas. Any scheme inside an Article 4 area in Westminster that goes below existing foundations triggers two months notice under section 6 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, and Westminster City Council will want the NW8 ground and groundwater position set out.
The building fabric around Westminster: Grand Georgian and Regency terraces in Belgravia and Pimlico; Victorian and Edwardian mansion blocks; heritage-rich townhouses throughout; very high listed building density. Heritage-first planning approach; listed buildings on almost every street; basement and rear extension policies particularly strict. A scheme inside an Article 4 area in Westminster is scoped against that stock first.
What happens if a Westminster property sits on a boundary?
- Wandsworth — cross the Westminster boundary and Wandsworth Council takes the scheme inside an Article 4 area instead, applying 45 conservation areas of its own around SW8. We re-price scheme inside an Article 4 areas at the Westminster edge because Wandsworth policy and Westminster policy rarely align on scheme inside an Article 4 area depth.
- Lambeth — adjoining Westminster, with 64 conservation areas centred on SE1. A scheme inside an Article 4 area on the far side of the Westminster line is determined by Lambeth Council, so the Westminster quote for scheme inside an Article 4 areas is checked against Lambeth guidance before it is issued.
- City of London — the City of London boundary runs against Westminster, so a scheme inside an Article 4 area a street from Westminster is decided by City of London Corporation instead. City of London runs 27 conservation areas across EC1 and its neighbours, which is why scheme inside an Article 4 areas priced for Westminster are re-checked against City of London policy whenever the Westminster address sits on that edge.
- Camden — the Camden boundary runs against Westminster, so a scheme inside an Article 4 area a street from Westminster is decided by Camden Council instead. Camden runs 40 conservation areas across NW1 and its neighbours, which is why scheme inside an Article 4 areas priced for Westminster are re-checked against Camden policy whenever the Westminster address sits on that edge.
Sources for this Westminster scheme inside an Article 4 area page: borough policies maps and
conservation-area registers (2025–26), Royal Mail postcode district boundaries,
the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (England) Regulations, the Town
and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 as amended,
and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
