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CMP Construct

Construction Management Plans in Westminster

Westminster approved a completely rewritten Code of Construction Practice in March 2026 (the current document is dated May 2026). It has applied to new CMP and SEMP submissions since 1 June 2026 and to all existing sites since 1 September 2026, although sites with an approved plan did not have to amend it. The new Code introduces four project levels, puts every basement formally in scope, and starts a 40-working-day approval clock before any work can begin. Much published guidance still describes the 2016 Code, which Westminster has now archived; here is how the current system actually works.

Westminster at a glance

Working hours
8am–6pm Mon–Fri, 8am–1pm Sat
Submit
At least 40 working days before work starts
Document
CMP or SEMP plus a signed Appendix A checklist
Council fees
Officer-time fee, averaging 117 hours at Level 3
On this page

    Westminster’s 2026 Code of Construction Practice

    The Code of Construction Practice (CoCP) is Westminster’s framework for managing construction impacts, secured through a pre-commencement planning condition, and City Plan Policy 37 requires developments to comply with it. Planning officers screen every application at validation: besides the size and basement thresholds below, the condition is applied to façade retention schemes, sites inside government security zones and developments requiring footway reinstatement.

    The 2026 Code also raises the baseline. Level 1 and 2 sites must register with the Considerate Constructors Scheme, run continuous noise, vibration and dust monitoring with near-real-time data access for the council, and install green hoardings wherever practicable; any project valued at over £300,000 needs a Site Waste Management Plan.

    Every project is classified into one of four levels, which determines the documents required. Westminster can move a project up a level where neighbours or sensitive uses would be heavily affected, structural works or major refurbishments will last 12 months or more, or prolonged out-of-hours working is needed, and major refurbishments are assigned a level by size:

    • Level 1 (100 or more new homes, or 10,000 sq m or more of floorspace): Site Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) plus signed Checklist A
    • Level 2 (10 or more new homes, or 1,000 sq m or more of floorspace): SEMP plus signed Checklist A
    • Level 3 (any smaller development involving a new or extended basement of any size): Construction Management Plan (CMP) plus signed Checklist B
    • Level 4 (everything else): expected to follow the Code’s principles, with no formal approval, monitoring or fees, though projects can be upgraded to Level 3 where impacts justify it

    The Approval Clock: 40 Working Days Before You Start

    Neighbours, amenity groups, neighbourhood forums, Business Improvement Districts and other affected stakeholders must be notified at least three weeks before the SEMP or CMP is even submitted, with the start date, duration, key stages, likely impacts and site contacts, and the feedback recorded. The communication plan therefore has to move first. The discharge process then runs in fixed steps:

    • Send the signed Appendix A checklist and the SEMP or CMP to cocp@westminster.gov.uk at least 40 working days before any work, including site preparation, is scheduled to start
    • Environmental Sciences and Highways officers review the plan and ask for amendments where necessary; once approved, an invoice is issued and the CoCP fee is paid in full for the duration of the project
    • A CoCP Coordination Officer countersigns Appendix A and returns it to the applicant
    • The applicant submits the countersigned Appendix A and a publishable version of the plan to Town Planning, which formally discharges the condition; Westminster says this can take up to eight weeks, particularly where Appendix A was not countersigned before submission
    • The condition is discharged separately for each stage (demolition, earthworks and piling, construction), and starting any stage before discharge puts the development in breach and makes it unlawful

    Working Hours, Section 61 and Section 60

    Building work audible at the site boundary is permitted 8am–6pm Monday to Friday and 8am–1pm on Saturdays, with no working on Sundays or bank holidays and lower noise thresholds on Saturdays. Piling, excavation and demolition are weekday-only: they are not permitted on Saturdays at all. All construction traffic must operate within the agreed site hours, and Westminster expects restricted periods for high impact noisy works such as breaking out and cutting with power tools to be agreed with the council.

    Level 1 and 2 sites must apply for a Section 61 prior consent at least 28 days before work commences, with a London Good Practice Guide noise risk assessment, and Westminster encourages a draft up to three months before work starts. Level 3 and basement sites generally do not need one: Westminster serves a Section 60 notice setting the standard CoCP hours before work starts instead. Any site planning noisy work outside normal hours needs a Section 61 consent, applied for at least 28 days ahead and granted only in exceptional circumstances such as police traffic restrictions, emergencies or public safety.

    Basements, Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings

    Under City Plan Policy 50 (adopted January 2026), a basement application should be accompanied by a structural methodology statement self-certified by a suitably qualified engineer and a signed Appendix A pro forma from the Code of Construction Practice (Checklist B for basement schemes). A draft CMP is not needed with the application; the full CMP follows through the pre-commencement process above. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult neighbours before applying, and Westminster may ask for evidence of that engagement, including a schedule and timetable of works. The policy generally limits basements to one storey beneath the lowest original floor and to no more than 50% of the garden land. Every new or extended basement, of any size, is at least a Level 3 project under the 2026 Code, with fortnightly council inspections during the works.

    Heritage is the other constant. Westminster has more than 11,000 listed buildings and structures and 56 conservation areas covering 78% of the city. In conservation areas the council can impose additional visual or acoustic requirements on hoardings, and the Code requires temporary supports and scaffolding to avoid harm to historic fabric, ground movement monitoring data to be shared with Historic England for listed buildings, and particular care with features such as granite setts in mews streets, which heavy vehicles, skips and plant easily damage. Works to a listed building without consent are a criminal offence.

    Traffic, Highway Licences and Parking Suspensions

    Every Westminster SEMP and CMP must contain a Traffic Management Plan: swept path analysis for the largest vehicles, a pedestrian management plan, delivery vehicle sizes and numbers, crane positions and routes. Where schools are nearby, deliveries and heavy vehicle movements should be scheduled outside school start and finish times (typically 8am–9am and 3pm–4pm). Vehicles and drivers must meet CLOCS or FORS Silver as a minimum, plus London’s LEZ and ULEZ standards. Where construction removes resident parking bays, an equal number of nearby visitor bays must be converted to temporary resident bays. The lead times and fees, from Westminster’s current licence pages, are:

    • Temporary Traffic Orders: at least 10 weeks’ notice for crane operations and eight weeks for other road closures; from £2,856 for one month on a minor road and £4,229 on a major road
    • Temporary structure licences (scaffolding, hoarding, gantries): for up to two months, £648 for under 50 sq m on a minor road and up to £6,371 for over 50 sq m on a major road; an unlicensed structure can be charged up to double the fee
    • Crane licences: £499 on a minor road or £785 on a major road where no TTO is needed, plus £534 per crane for an oversail permit
    • Parking bay suspensions: 10 working days’ notice, from £51 per space for the first day, rising to £112–£121 per day from day 43

    Air Quality, Dust and Machinery

    The whole of Westminster is an Air Quality Management Area, and City Plan Policy 36 sets the council’s air quality requirements. Every SEMP and CMP must include an Air Quality Dust Management Plan following the Mayor’s Control of Dust and Emissions SPG; Level 3 projects do not need the formal dust risk assessment, but must still adopt its mitigation measures and a no-idling policy.

    The Non-Road Mobile Machinery rules are the change most likely to catch contractors out. Since 1 September 2026 all NRMM on Level 1, 2 and 3 sites must meet Stage V, every machine between 37kW and 560kW must be on the London NRMM Register, and machines that cannot meet the Code’s standard need a Westminster exemption, which the council aims to decide within 10 working days. Level 1 sites must target 50% zero-emission NRMM from 1 January 2027 and Level 2 sites from 1 January 2028. On Level 1 and 2 sites, continuous PM10 and PM2.5 monitoring is mandatory, with a PM10 trigger level of 150 µg/m³ over 15 minutes and work stopping if the 190 µg/m³ hourly action level is breached.

    CoCP Fees

    Westminster charges for the officer time each project consumes rather than a flat fee, paid in full before the checklist is countersigned. The published schedule (Appendix F) estimates an average of 117 officer hours for a Level 3 project (including fortnightly site visits and CMP review), 289 hours for Level 2 and 448 hours for Level 1. Monitoring charges are based on actual costs, so unspent sums paid on account are repaid. The fee document does not publish an hourly rate, so ask the CoCP team for a figure before budgeting. Optional pre-CoCP advice is sold in fixed packages of 4, 7 or 21 officer hours and is not refunded. Highway licence and parking suspension fees are always additional.

    How CMP Construct Helps in Westminster

    CMP Construct prepares council-compliant Construction Management Plans across Westminster and more than 20 London boroughs. We draft most plans within 7–10 working days, submit in the format Westminster City Council expects, and handle officer comments through to discharge of your condition. Where your condition also asks for a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP), a Construction Logistics Plan (CLP) or a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP), we produce them as one consistent package. New to the process? Start with our complete guide to Construction Management Plans or see what a CMP costs.

    Official Westminster Guidance

    The council documents below set out Westminster City Council's own requirements. We work to these day to day; they are linked here so you can verify any requirement directly:

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Other London Boroughs

    Comparing boroughs? See construction working hours across London, basement rules in each borough and which councils expect their own CMP template, or go straight to another borough’s guide: