The Planning Sub-Committee (1) of Westminster Council met on Tuesday 26 May 2026 and unanimously approved a planning application to convert a former underground public convenience near 32-34 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 8JB, into a cafe or retail unit. The meeting also involved the formal approval of previous minutes and the election of Councillor Jim Glen as Chair.

Public Convenience Site Near to 32-34, Broadwick Street, London, W1F 8JB

The committee unanimously approved conditional planning permission for the use of a former underground public convenience near 32-34 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 8JB for cafe or retail purposes (Class E). The proposal also included the removal of existing mechanical plant at street level and resurfacing to match the surrounding highway.

The application had received objections from the Soho Society and local residents who argued that the loss of a purpose-built public convenience went against the clear need for more such facilities in Soho, citing a report called Caught Short in Soho which highlighted a significant shortfall. They also expressed concern that repurposing the site for commercial use would undermine the public realm.

However, officers noted that the Broadwick Street conveniences were not part of the City Council's Public Convenience Strategy and had been closed since 2021. Despite marketing the site for community uses since October 2021, no interest had been received from alternative social or community operators, including private toilet providers like '2theloo'. The report stated that leaving the site vacant would be undesirable.

While acknowledging the concerns about the loss of public toilets, the committee concluded that, given the circumstances and the lack of interest in alternative community uses, permission could not reasonably be withheld. The proposed cafe or retail use was considered appropriate for the location within the Central Activities Zone and the West End Retail and Leisure Special Policy Area.

Several conditions were attached to the permission to mitigate potential impacts. These included limiting operating hours to between 07:30 and 23:00 daily, capping the maximum customer capacity at 37, restricting primary cooking on-site, and imposing noise limitations to protect surrounding residents. A condition was also added requiring the submission and approval of details for waste storage and recycling. An additional condition was tabled by the Presenting Officer, requiring the approval of a delivery and servicing management plan, to ensure public safety and prevent road obstruction, in line with Policies 28 and 29 of the City Plan 2019 - 2040 (January 2026).

Chris Brown, representing Rolfe Judd Planning, spoke in support of the application.

The meeting also formally approved the minutes of the previous Planning Sub-Committee (1) meeting held on 7th April 2026. Councillor Jim Glen was elected as the Chair of the Planning Sub-Committee (1).