WC2N 5LS Westminster
Live postcode, introduced January 1980. Ward: St James's. Region: London.
Streets
- Strand, City of Westminster: 8 addresses
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, Trafalgar Square (council page). Extensions, demolition, some windows and doors, and work on trees need consent.
- Listed buildings within 100 m of this postcode: 26.
- 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: none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Green belt: no.
Listed buildings
- THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS, grade I
- 1 AND 2, ROBERT STREET, grade II*
- 10, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 11, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 17, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 18, ADAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 18, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 19, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 2, JOHN ADAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 20, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 21, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 3, ROBERT STREET WC2, grade II*
- 4 AND 6, JOHN ADAM STREET, grade II*
- 8, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- 9, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II*
- ZIMBABWE HOUSE, grade II*
- 1-5, CHANDOS PLACE WC2 (See details for further address information), grade II
- 21, JOHN ADAM STREET WC2, grade II
- 22, BUCKINGHAM STREET WC2, grade II
- 27 AND 29, JOHN ADAM STREET WC2, grade II
- 6 AND 7, YORK BUILDINGS WC2, grade II
- FORMER CHARING CROSS HOSPITAL (EAST SIDE), grade II
- K2 TELEPHONE KIOSK, grade II
- Lamp post outside 6-7 Chandos Place, grade II
- Lamp post outside 61a Chandos Place, grade II
- Lamp post outside Charing Cross Police Station, grade II
Brownfield land registered for housing within 1 km (0.6 miles)
- Walter House, 418-422 Strand, London, WC2R 0PT, permissioned (80 m)
- Walter House, 418-422 Strand, London, WC2R 0PT, permissioned (80 m)
- 2 Savoy Court London WC2R 0EZ, permissioned (220 m)
- 2 Savoy Court London WC2R 0EZ, permissioned (220 m)
- 5 Strand London WC2N 5AF, pending decision (220 m)
- 5 Strand London WC2N 5AF, pending decision (220 m)
- Hudson House, 8 Tavistock Street, London, WC2E 7PE, permissioned (250 m)
- Hudson House, 8 Tavistock Street, London, WC2E 7PE, permissioned (250 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 addresses are about 12 m above sea level.
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 | 160 m |
| Tottenham Court Road 68 million journeys in 2024–25 | 860 m (0.5 miles) | |
| London Waterloo 70 million journeys in 2024–25 | 1 km (0.6 miles) | |
| Underground, metro or tram | Embankment Underground Station | 250 m |
| Charing Cross Underground Station | 320 m | |
| Leicester Square Underground Station | 410 m (0.3 miles) | |
| Bus stops | 25 stops within 400 m (0.2 miles), 70 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Bedford Street Charing Cross | 60 m |
| Bus or coach station | Victoria Station | 2.1 km (1.3 miles) |
| Ferry terminal | Embankment Pier | 260 m |
| Car parks | 15 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest National Car Parks | 220 m |
| EV charging points | 52 within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Shell Recharge | 80 m |
| Airport with scheduled flights | London City Airport LCY | 12.4 km (7.7 miles) |
| Nearest large airport | London Heathrow Airport LHR | 23.7 km (15 miles) |
Local services
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| GP surgeries | 13 practices within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Kings College Health Centre | 530 m (0.3 miles) |
| Pharmacies | 27 pharmacies within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Superdrug Pharmacy | 0 m |
| NHS dentists | 31 practices within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Covent Garden Dental Clinic | 170 m |
| Hospital | Evelina London Children's Hospital | 1.3 km (0.8 miles) |
| Police station | Metropolitan Police Service | 60 m |
| Cash machines | 4 machines within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Strand NatWest | 50 m |
Parks and green space
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Park or garden | 10 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Victoria Embankment Gardens 3.8 ha | 110 m |
| Largest park within 800 m (0.5 miles) | St James's Park 23 ha | 650 m (0.4 miles) |
| Play area | 3 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 420 m² | 520 m (0.3 miles) |
| Playing field | Unnamed 4,070 m² | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) |
| Allotments | Unnamed 590 m² | 2.2 km (1.4 miles) |
Within 800 m (0.5 miles): 10 parks and gardens, 31 hectares in all.
Landmarks
The nearest historic landmark is Zimbabwe House, a listed building (Grade II*), 60 m north-west. 1,032 listed buildings are within 1 km (0.6 miles), 72 of them Grade I and 147 of them Grade II*.
| Name | What it is | From the postcode's centre |
|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe House | Listed building, Grade II* | 60 m north-west |
| 21, Buckingham Street Wc2 | Listed building, Grade II* | 70 m south |
| 1 and 2, Robert Street | Listed building, Grade II* | 70 m south-east |
| The Royal Society of Arts | Listed building, Grade I | 70 m east |
| Victoria Embankment Gardens | Registered park or garden, Grade II* | 220 m south-east |
| Trafalgar Square | Registered park or garden, Grade I | 330 m south-west |
| Inner Temple Hall Buttery | Scheduled monument | 1 km (0.6 miles) north-east |
| Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church | World Heritage Site | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) south |
| The Chapter House and Pyx Chamber in the abbey cloisters, Westminster Abbey | Scheduled monument | 1.2 km (0.7 miles) south |
| The Jewel Tower | Scheduled monument | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) south |
| Name | What it is | From the postcode's centre |
|---|---|---|
| King's Reach | Tidal water | 600 m (0.4 miles) south |
| Pelican Pool | Lake or reservoir | 800 m (0.5 miles) south-west |
| Duck Island | Island | 850 m (0.5 miles) south-west |
| St James's Park Lake | Lake or reservoir | 1 km (0.6 miles) south-west |
| Paddington Green | Wood | 3.7 km (2.3 miles) west |
| Barrow Hill | Hill | 4.2 km (2.6 miles) 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, rail and aircraft noise
| Level | Road traffic | Railways | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 to 74 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Under 55 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
8 of the postcode's 8 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 | 35 | 40 |
| Children under 15 | 5% | 17% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12% | 18% |
Homes
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Owned (outright or with a mortgage) | 29% | 61% |
| Owned outright | 23% | 33% |
| Shared ownership | 0% | 1% |
| Social rented | 26% | 17% |
| Private rented | 45% | 21% |
Work and commuting
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults (16 and over) in work | 57% | 57% |
| Unemployment (of those working or looking for work) | 7% | 6% |
| Retired (of adults) | 11% | 22% |
| Long-term sick or disabled (of adults) | 3% | 4% |
| Work mainly from home (of those in work) | 66% | 32% |
| Travel to work by car or van | 5% | 48% |
| By train, Underground, metro or tram | 9% | 4% |
| By any public transport, including bus | 10% | 8% |
| On foot or by bicycle | 19% | 10% |
| Work within 10 km (6 miles) of home (of those who travel to work) | 95% | 65% |
| Work 30 km (19 miles) or more away | 2% | 8% |
Education and languages
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree or other higher qualification, Level 4+ (of adults) | 67% | 34% |
| No qualifications | 9% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship as highest qualification | under 1% | 5% |
| Main language English (aged 3 and over) | 78% | 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.
The full dossier for this postcode's main street is on Strand.