WC2E 9HE Westminster
Live postcode, introduced January 1980. Ward: St James's. Region: London.
Streets
Council tax
What each band costs in Westminster in 2026-27: Band D £1,050 a year on average, including the police, fire and any county and parish charges.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £700 | £816 | £933 | £1,050 | £1,283 | £1,516 | £1,749 | £2,099 |
Homes by band in the neighbourhood around this postcode: most are in band E (26% of about 1,720 homes).
Planning and heritage
- Conservation area: yes, Covent Garden (council page). Extensions, demolition, some windows and doors, and work on trees need consent.
- Listed buildings within 100 m of this postcode: 43.
- Article 4 direction (removing permitted development rights): Article 4 Basement Development Permitted Rights Removed, Article 4 Direction Class E To C3 In Central Activities Zone.
- Tree preservation orders: 4 protected trees within 100 m of this postcode.
- Green belt: no.
Listed buildings
- 1-5, CHANDOS PLACE WC2 (See details for further address information), grade II
- 10, NEW ROW WC2 (See details for further address information), grade II
- 13, NEW ROW WC2, grade II
- 14-16, BEDFORD STREET WC2, grade II
- 14, KING STREET WC2, grade II
- 15, KING STREET WC2, grade II
- 16 AND 17, MAIDEN LANE WC2, grade II
- 16, NEW ROW WC2, grade II
- 17 AND 18, NEW ROW WC2, grade II
- 17-19, BEDFORD STREET WC2, grade II
- 23 AND 24, BEDFORDBURY WC2, grade II
- 23 AND 24, HENRIETTA STREET WC2, grade II
- 26, KING STREET WC2, grade II
- 27 and 28 King Street, grade II
- 27 AND 28, BEDFORD STREET WC2 (See details for further address information), grade II
- 30 Henrietta Street, grade II
- 33, BEDFORD STREET WC2, grade II
- 44, BEDFORD STREET WC2, grade II
- 5 AND 6, HENRIETTA STREET WC2, grade II
- 5 LAMP POSTS NUMBERED 1 TO 5, grade II
- 5 LAMPSTANDARDS NUMBERED 1 TO 5, grade II
- 5, GARRICK STREET WC2, grade II
- 60, CHANDOS PLACE WC2, grade II
- 67 AND 68, CHANDOS PLACE WC2, grade II
- 7 AND 8, HENRIETTA STREET WC2, grade II
- 8 LAMPSTANDARDS ON DWARF STONE WALLS IN ST PAUL'S CHURCHYARD, grade II
- 9 AND 10, HENRIETTA STREET WC2, grade II
- Aldine House, grade II
- ALGINATE HOUSE, grade II
- FORMER CHARING CROSS HOSPITAL (EAST SIDE), grade II
And 13 more.
Brownfield land registered for housing within 1.0 km
- Garrick House 27 - 32 King Street Covent Garden London WC2E 8JD, permissioned (110 m)
- Walter House, 418-422 Strand, London, WC2R 0PT, permissioned (120 m)
- Walter House, 418-422 Strand, London, WC2R 0PT, permissioned (120 m)
- Hudson House, 8 Tavistock Street, London, WC2E 7PE, permissioned (210 m)
- Hudson House, 8 Tavistock Street, London, WC2E 7PE, permissioned (210 m)
- 26 James Street Covent Garden London WC2E 8PA, permissioned (230 m)
- 2 Savoy Court London WC2R 0EZ, permissioned (240 m)
- 2 Savoy Court London WC2R 0EZ, permissioned (240 m)
Flood risk
No address in this postcode is in an area at high, medium or low risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water. The rest are in areas at very low risk: less than a 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance a year.
Rivers and the sea alone: no home is in an area at risk.
High: 3.3% (1 in 30) or more chance of flooding a year. Medium: 1% to 3.3%. Low: 0.1% to 1%. Very low: under 0.1%. The rivers and sea figures allow for flood defences. Counts cover whole postcodes, which can include other streets.
Flood zone for planning: no postcode centre is in flood zone 2 or 3.
Height above sea level
The postcode's 31 addresses are between 15 m and 19 m above sea level (18 m on average).
Broadband
Superfast 100%, ultrafast 100%, gigabit 100% of premises; 0% cannot get 10 Mbit/s. Ofcom Connected Nations, data as at January 2026.
Getting around
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Railway stations | London Charing Cross 20 million journeys in 2024–25 | 290 m |
| Tottenham Court Road 68 million journeys in 2024–25 | 690 m | |
| London Waterloo 70 million journeys in 2024–25 | 1.1 km | |
| Underground, metro or tram | Covent Garden Underground Station | 280 m |
| Leicester Square Underground Station | 280 m | |
| Charing Cross Underground Station | 400 m | |
| Bus stops | 19 stops within 400 m, 76 within 800 m; nearest Bedford Street Charing Cross | 140 m |
| Bus or coach station | Victoria Station | 2.2 km |
| Ferry terminal | Savoy Pier Embankment | 380 m |
| Car parks | 18 within 800 m; nearest National Car Parks | 120 m |
| EV charging points | 52 within 1.6 km; nearest ubitricity | 70 m |
| Airport with scheduled flights | London City Airport LCY | 12.5 km |
| Nearest large airport | London Heathrow Airport LHR | 23.7 km |
Local services
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| GP surgeries | 14 practices within 1.6 km; nearest Covent Garden Medical Centre | 470 m |
| Pharmacies | 28 pharmacies within 1.6 km; nearest Boots | 120 m |
| NHS dentists | 33 practices within 1.6 km; nearest Covent Garden Dental Clinic | 140 m |
| Hospital | The Italian Hospital | 1.2 km |
| Police station | Charing Cross Police Station | 90 m |
| Cash machines | 5 machines within 800 m; nearest Hsbc Bank | 90 m |
Parks and green space
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Park or garden | 11 within 800 m; nearest The Convent Garden 1,520 m² | 70 m |
| Largest park within 800 m | St James's Park 23 ha | 720 m |
| Play area | 2 within 800 m; nearest Unnamed 420 m² | 410 m |
| Playing field | Unnamed 4,070 m² | 1.3 km |
| Allotments | Unnamed 900 m² | 2.2 km |
Within 800 m: 11 parks and gardens, 33 hectares in all.
Landmarks
The nearest historic landmark is Zimbabwe House, a listed building (Grade II*), 110 m south. 1,112 listed buildings are within 1.0 km, 76 of them Grade I and 153 of them Grade II*.
| Name | What it is | From the postcode's centre |
|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe House | Listed building, Grade II* | 110 m south |
| Church of St Paul Church of St Paul Covent Garden | Listed building, Grade I | 120 m north-east |
| 1-8, Goodwin's Court Wc2 | Listed building, Grade II* | 130 m west |
| The Coliseum Theatre (English National Opera) | Listed building, Grade II* | 130 m south-west |
| Trafalgar Square | Registered park or garden, Grade I | 380 m south-west |
| Victoria Embankment Gardens | Registered park or garden, Grade II* | 380 m south-east |
| Inner Temple Hall Buttery | Scheduled monument | 1.0 km east |
| Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church | World Heritage Site | 1.3 km south |
| Barnard's Inn Hall (Mercers' School) | Scheduled monument | 1.3 km north-east |
| The Chapter House and Pyx Chamber in the abbey cloisters, Westminster Abbey | Scheduled monument | 1.3 km south |
| Name | What it is | From the postcode's centre |
|---|---|---|
| King's Reach | Tidal water | 760 m south |
| Pelican Pool | Lake or reservoir | 910 m south-west |
| Duck Island | Island | 940 m south-west |
| St James's Park Lake | Lake or reservoir | 1.1 km south-west |
| Paddington Green | Wood | 3.6 km west |
| Barrow Hill | Hill | 4.0 km north-west |
Air quality
| Pollutant | Here | UK limit | WHO guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 33.1 | 40 | 10 |
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | 10.5 | 20 | 5 |
| Particles (PM10) | 17.4 | 40 | 15 |
All three are within the UK legal limits; all three are above the WHO guideline, as in most towns and cities.
Road and rail noise
| Level | Road traffic | Railways |
|---|---|---|
| 60 to 64 | 1 | 0 |
| 55 to 59 | 30 | 0 |
| Under 55 | 0 | 31 |
31 of the postcode's 31 addresses are modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic, above the WHO guidelines.
People and work
Who lives here
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41 | 40 |
| Children under 15 | 3% | 17% |
| Aged 65 and over | 32% | 18% |
Homes
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Owned (outright or with a mortgage) | 20% | 61% |
| Owned outright | 16% | 33% |
| Shared ownership | 0% | 1% |
| Social rented | 40% | 17% |
| Private rented | 40% | 21% |
Work and commuting
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults (16 and over) in work | 41% | 57% |
| Unemployment (of those working or looking for work) | 9% | 6% |
| Retired (of adults) | 28% | 22% |
| Long-term sick or disabled (of adults) | 1% | 4% |
| Work mainly from home (of those in work) | 56% | 32% |
| Travel to work by car or van | 6% | 48% |
| By train, Underground, metro or tram | 9% | 4% |
| By any public transport, including bus | 9% | 8% |
| On foot or by bicycle | 28% | 10% |
| Work within 10 km of home (of those who travel to work) | 77% | 65% |
| Work 30 km or more away | 13% | 8% |
Education and languages
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree or other higher qualification, Level 4+ (of adults) | 56% | 34% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship as highest qualification | 4% | 5% |
| Main language English (aged 3 and over) | 79% | 91% |
| Cannot speak English well or at all | 3% | 2% |
Deprivation
The neighbourhood around this postcode is in decile 3 of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 1 is the most deprived tenth of England's 33,755 neighbourhoods and 10 the least.