St James's · Westminster · Cities of London and Westminster constituency · 51.51366, -0.11889

WC2B 4AY— St James's, Westminster

Location and area intelligence for WC2B 4AY, St James's, Westminster

City living at its best

 

Schools 67%Safety 4/100Transport 61/100~2% yield · indicativeOnly 3 sales — thin data

Best for: Most buyers

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Lopsided profile — strong transport but weak safety

Liveability
55
Safety
4
Schools
56
Transport
61
Environment
63
Investment
43

The bottom line

Less suited to Families.

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Location

WC2B 4AY

Area Profile & Benchmarks

Area identity and London comparisons

Area Identity

Inner city
MediumYoung professionals
Buyer fit: GoodInvestment outlook: NeutralRisk: Low

London Benchmarks

vs London income-3.3% vs London avg
vs London crime+669.0% vs London avg

Deep-dive guides for WC2B 4AY

🛡️Crime & SafetyCrime rate, trends & breakdown by type🎓SchoolsOfsted ratings, exam scores & distances🏠Rental MarketAverage rents, demand & void risk

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Postcode Personality

🚇 Well-Connected🎓 Good Schools⚠️ Very high crime🍕 Buzzing

“City living at its best”

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How WC2B 4AY has changed

Schools

18 Apr

Nearest schools and Ofsted ratings

56

Education score

Good for families
★ Top school within 1km
—

Primary

St Clement Danes CofE Primary School

Not yet inspected · Inspected Nov 2024 · 0 min walk

KS2: 111.1

★

Secondary

London Nautical, City of London Academy

Requires Improvement · Inspected Jun 2023 · 14 min walk

67% of local schools rated Good or Outstanding · based on 20 schools within 1.5km

Below London average

Childcare

Childcare

Thomas Coram Centre

Not inspected · 17 min walk

4 primaries · 0 secondaries · 0 childcare — within 1km

Safety

13 Jul

Crime rates and local incidents

Very high crime

500.0 incidents per 1,000 residents

Among London's highest crime areas
↑ Rising 3014.6%

+14% vs borough

Note: this postcode is in the Central Activities Zone — London's business and visitor core. Crime is counted per resident, but the daytime and visitor population here is many times the resident count, so these figures reflect footfall, not residential risk.

Crime by type

Other44%
Theft20%
Violence & sexual offences13%
Anti-social behaviour12%
Burglary4%
Robbery4%
Drug offences2%
Vehicle crime1%

Stop & search

1.0

per 1,000 residents

→ Stable

trend

Road safety

100

Road safety score

0

Accidents (5yr)

9

Serious within 200m

Fire risk

LOW

Risk band

0

Incidents (1yr)

0

Incidents (5yr)

Nearest station: Soho Fire station · 786m

Crime is +669% above London average

Property

2 Jul

Prices, sales volume and market trends

Insufficient sales data

Only 3 sales recorded in the last 24 months — too few for a reliable median price. Price figures have been withheld to avoid misleading comparisons.

Price history

Sales (24 months)3
New build0.0%
Price per m²£20,828/m²
Price per ft²£1,935/ft²
Avg floor area89.8 m²

EPC breakdown

B
2%
C
18%
D
4%

Based on 24 properties · Confidence: medium

Street mix

Flat 100%

LHA rates — Inner North London

Shared room£708/mo
1 bedroom£1440/mo
2 bedrooms£1794/mo
3 bedrooms£2160/mo
4 bedrooms£3060/mo

Current mortgage rates

2-year fixed4.58%
5-year fixed4.32%
SVR7.25%

Bank of England (monthly average)

Affordability

Low

Market activity

100d

Days to sell

Energy & construction

Solar yield852 kWh/kWp/yr
Rebuild cost estimate£224,500
Rebuild cost per m²£2,500/m²

BCIS London average 2024. Excludes land value. Use for building insurance sum insured guidance only.

Construction era1900-1929
WallsSolid brick, as built, no insulation (assumed)
Roof(another dwelling above)
Heating fuelmains gas (not community)
GlazingFully double glazed
Council tax band Band FAnnual charge £1,309
Price growth potentialModerate

Market History

Price trajectory, velocity and distribution

Price Trajectory

2001–2025 · CAGR

+6.6%

Total change

+369%

Market Activity

Price Velocity & Acceleration

Current Velocity

+58.8%

per year

Acceleration

+62.09

change in velocity

Market State

Strong growth

Velocity (%)Acceleration

Price Distribution

P25: £400k–£450k · P75: £500k–£600k · 49 sales

Property Type Mix

Total: 49 sales

Flat/maisonette100%

By decade

2000s

2010s

2020s

Market Cycle

BullCooling bullRisingSteadyRecoveryCorrectionBear

Market Eras

EraPeriodStart priceEnd priceChangeAvg sales/yr
Post-dot-com plateau2001–2003£500k£580k+16%8.3
Pre-crash peak2005–2007£541k£975k+80.2%2
GFC & correction2008–2012£1.17m£406k-65.2%1.4
Help-to-Buy recovery2013–2016£510k£650k+27.5%1
Brexit uncertainty2017–2017£1.33m£1.33m+0%1
Pandemic surge2021–2021£1.38m£1.38m+0%1
Rate-rise correction2022–2023£1.32m£1.52m+15.1%2
Current market2024–2025£1.48m£2.34m+58.8%1.5

Price Trajectory by Type

Flat/maisonette

Per-type alpha vs district

Best performer

Flat/maisonette

+0% alpha

Flat/maisonette+0% α
Local
6.6%
District
6.6%

CAGR over 24yr data window. Alpha = local CAGR − district CAGR.

Buyer vs Seller Score

Composite market conditions index 0–100

21out of 100SellerBuyer

Market condition

Strong Seller's Market

Favours sellers

Higher score = better conditions for buyers

Score breakdown

Price Velocity0
Sales Volume75
Seasonal Timing0
Trend Position10

Transport

1 Jul

Public transport accessibility and links

PTAL 4

Good

1a
1b
2
3
4
5
6a
6b
Above London average
Holborn Underground StationPiccadilly line
5.3 min walk
London Charing Cross→ Charing Cross
0 min

Nearby stations

Covent Garden Underground StationPiccadilly
5 min walk
Temple Underground StationCircle · District
5 min walk
Holborn Underground StationCentral · Piccadilly
6 min walk
Leicester Square Underground StationNorthern · Piccadilly
9 min walk
Chancery Lane Underground StationCentral
9 min walk
1 bus routes · 10 stops within 400m · 200 buses/hr peak

68

Walkability score

659

Footpaths (500m)

48

Santander docks (800m)

0.1 km

Nearest cycle dock

Central London commute times

London Bridge28 min ↓
Victoria25 min ↓
Waterloo ★18 min
Canary Wharf38 min ↓
City23 min ↓

▎ marker = outer-London average per hub. ↓ green = below average. ↑ orange = above average. ≈ grey = at average. · Source: TfL Journey Planner (sampled)

Find areas within a set commute time of your workplace →

Parking & EV

Car parks, spaces and charging points

7

Car parks (800m)

4

EV chargers (800m)

Total spaces (800m)450
Nearest car park243m
Santander docks (800m)48
Nearest cycle dock0.1 km

Nearby car parks

🅿️
Bloomsbury Square Car Park450 spaces· yes
646m

Environment

2 Jul

Flood risk, air quality and noise

Flood riskLOW
Low
Minimal flood risk
Surface waterNONE
No assessed surface water flood risk
Air qualityLOW
NO₂: 22.0 µg/m³ · PM2.5: 14.0 µg/m³
Better than 87% of London
NoiseLOW
none
Quieter than 70% of London
Radon riskLOW
0.5% of local properties affected
ULEZ zone · £12.50/dayCongestion charge zone✗ Not Green Belt✗ Not AONB10% green spaceTree canopy: 70%
Below average green space

Nearest SSSI: Hampstead Heath Woods SSSI — 7.0 km

Energy

Solar: 852 kWh/kWp/yr

Ground stability

Geology: SAND AND GRAVEL

Subsidence risk: Low

Shrink-swell: Low

Running sand risk: Medium

Landslide records (2km): None recorded

Insurance risk

Standard

Cost band

Low

Flood risk

Low

Subsidence risk

0.5%

Flood claim prob.

Climate

Local weather conditions and energy potential

1,526 hrs/yr

Sunshine

601 mm/yr

Rainfall

22.8°C

Summer avg

3.1°C

Winter avg

Solar yield851.7 kWh/kWp/yr

Source: Met Office UK Climate Averages 1991-2020

Health

GP, dental and hospital access

SOHO CENTRE FOR HEALTH AND CARE

1ST FLOOR, 30 SOHO SQUARE, W1D 3QS

11 min walk

86%

Recommend GP

86%

Overall GP experience

7

GPs within 1km

18

Dentists within 1km

Nearest hospitalUntil SOHO · 775 m
Nearest A&EGUY'S AND ST THOMAS' NHS FOUNDATION TRUST · 1.7 km
A&E 4hr targetNHS target: 95% · London avg: ~68%63.7%

Amenities

Shops, restaurants, parks and more

72

Parks (1km)

256

Restaurants (800m)

109

Cafes (800m)

29

Pubs (400m)

6

Pharmacies (800m)

13

Gyms (1km)

20

Sports (1km)

1

Convenience

Nearest supermarketJumbo · 748 m
3 tennis courts2 swimming pools2 sports halls

Nightlife (500m)

1

Nightclubs

30

Late-night venues

A
4,137 licensed premises in borough2,967 late-night refreshment licencesHome Office 2023/24

3

Libraries (1km)

11

Cinemas (2km)

412m

Post office

Nearby shops

Oliphant's339 m
Floozie Cookies344 m
Toklas355 m
Little Waitrose420 m

Nearby cafes

Costa57 m
Caffè Nero70 m
Pur Cha78 m
Lundenwic90 m

Nearby restaurants

Coco di Mama46 m
Wasabi50 m
Pret A Manger60 m
Sarastro Restaurant66 m

Nearby pubs

Be At One161 m
The Three Tuns163 m
Ye Olde White Horse164 m
Nell of Old Drury170 m

Nearby gyms

LA Fitness105 m
King's Sport Strand Gym117 m
Jubilee Hall Sports Centre288 m
Soho Gym336 m

Nearby pharmacies

Boots341 m
Kerrs593 m
Holborn Pharmacy727 m
Zen885 m

Nearby health

King's College London NHS Health Centre136 m
Sardinia House Dental Practice159 m
St Philips Medical Centre261 m
NewWoman Health348 m
Food hygiene (5-star)48% of 924

Business

Local businesses registered here

Active businesses
0
New (last 12 months)
0
Dissolved (last 12 months)
0
Industry diversity
0
3yr survival rate
100.0%
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)
44

High street

A

High street health

Investment

Investment grade, yield and market outlook

43

Investment score

Moderate

Score reflects rental yield, demand & liquidity — not capital appreciation. See Price growth potential below.

Low gross yield (1.8%) makes this better for owner-occupiers than buy-to-let investors. Capital growth outlook is moderate.

Avg monthly rent
£2,622London avg: £1,950/mo
Gross yield
1.8% (low)London avg: 3.8%Low yield — bottom 25% of London
Gentrification score63/100
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)Owner-occupier growth signal44
Sales last 12 months1

Rental market

High

Demand

Low

Void risk

Young professional

Tenant profile

+15.3%

Rent growth (1yr)

Market liquidity

Low

Market activity

100d

Est. days to sell

8/100

Velocity score

Future outlook

64.2

Price growth score

C
High

Development pressure

Low

New supply risk

Strong gentrification momentumHigh investment qualityExcellent transport access

Infrastructure pipeline

Infrastructure score45/100
Bakerloo Extension route2,373m
Crossrail 2 route1,289m

Demographics

16 Jun

Population, deprivation and income

Decile 4/10

More deprived than average

Index of Multiple Deprivation

More deprived than average

Rank: 13,237 nationally

2,027

Est. population

3,741/km²

54%

Employed

58%

Degree educated

£40,600

Median income

3.1%

Claimant rate

Inner cityMedium densityYoung professionals

29

Community stability

Age profile

18%
33%
19%
20%
Under 1818%
18–3433%
35–4919%
50–6420%
65+10%

Tenure

13%
43%
37%
Own outright13%
Own (mortgage)7%
Private rent43%
Social rent37%
Shared ownership0%
Rent free0%

Ethnicity

32%
26%
23%
White British32%
White Other26%
Asian23%
Black6%
Mixed7%
Other5%

Employment & lifestyle

Managerial / professional43%
Routine / semi-routine9%
No car household83%
Unemployed5%
No qualifications11%

Housing tenure (Census 2021)

Private rent43%
Social rent37%

vs. London

Income vs London-3.3%

Planning

Conservation areas and development

Conservation area
No
Article 4 area
Yes
Listed buildings (800m)
422
Live planning apps (800m)
32
Development activity
high
Residential apps (800m)
0
Commercial apps (800m)
5
Major developments (800m)
0
Planning apps (12 months)
84
Planning apps (3 years)
51
Local approval rate
86%
Borough approval rate
85%
Historic landfill (400m)
1
Opportunity area
No
Central activities zone
Yes
CIL rate (residential)
£500/m²
Coal mining risk area
No
Japanese knotweed sites (400m)
0

Housing pipeline (800m)

Homes approved
0
Under construction
0
Completed (3yr)
8
Largest scheme
221 homes · 48, 48, Carey Street, WC2A 2JE
Pipeline pressure
NONE

Named schemes (500m)

48, 48, Carey Street, WC2A 2JE221 homes
completed
Citibank House, 336-337, Citibank House, 336-337, Strand, WC2R 1HB92 homes
completed
BRUCE HOUSE, 20, BRUCE HOUSE, 20, KEMBLE STREET, WC279 homes
completed
43 - 49, 43 - 49, Parker Street, WC2B 5PS64 homes
completed
AVIATION HOUSE, WESTERN PART OF SITE, AVIATION HOUSE, WESTERN PART OF SITE, NEWTON STREET, WC255 homes
completed

Politics

Local councillors and MP

Ward majority
Conservative
Ward majority vote
15.4%
Ward turnout
34%
Election year
2026
MP
Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op))
MP majority
2,708
Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Councillors

Tim MitchellConservative
Mark Angus ShearerConservative
San AbishevConservative

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Key facts for WC2B 4AY

Full postcodeWC2B 4AY
Postcode districtWC2B
BoroughLondon Borough of Westminster
WardSt James's
Latitude51.513659
Longitude-0.118892
Parliamentary constituencyCities of London and Westminster
CountryEngland
RegionGreater London

Trusted official data sources

Office for
National Statistics
LONDONDATASTORE
Ofsted
HM LAND
REGISTRY
Environment
Agency
DATA.POLICE.UK
GOV.UK
TfL
Transport
for London
NHS
Digital
Companies
House
Royal
Mail
Food Standards
Agency
Ofcom
Met
Office
Ordnance
Survey