Planning application
26/00445/OBS
Calcutta House, London Metropolitan University, Old Castle Street, London, E1 7NT
Proposal
Consultation by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on phased mixed-use redevelopment of the site, involving part-demolition and part-retention, refurbishment, and extension of Calcutta House and the Annex Building, to provide Higher Education floorspace (Use Class F1); the demolition of 130 Whitechapel High Street and 133-137 Whitechapel High Street (excluding retained façade), and the erection of a new building to provide Purpose Built Student Accommodation (Use Class Sui Generis), Retail (Use Class E), and flexible Office / Community floorspace (Use Class E/F2); with landscaping, public realm, and associated ancillary works for each phase. (LBTH ref: PA/26/00391/A1)
As published by the council, reference 26/00445/OBS
Timeline
Dates from the published record
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27 Mar 2026
Received by City of London
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17 Apr 2026
Decision issued: No Objections to OBS
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24 Jul 2026
Added to PlanIndex
What a grant of permission means
The process from here
Permission has been granted, usually subject to conditions listed on the decision notice, some of which must be discharged before work starts. The decision notice on the council portal sets out exactly what was approved.
Work must normally begin within three years of the decision or the permission lapses. Neighbours cannot appeal a grant; challenging one means judicial review of how the decision was made, within tight time limits.
About this record
Reading the register
This page mirrors an entry on the statutory planning register that City of London is required to keep. The published feed for this record does not state which type of application it is, which is common for older entries and for some council systems; the register entry on the council portal will say, alongside the case officer and any consultation dates.
Every planning application follows the same broad path: submission, validation, publicity, then a decision by officers or committee. Our guide to planning application types explains the common types and what each can approve.
Nearby applications
Within 500 metres
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25/01307/OBS Granted
Calcutta House Old Castle Street London E1 7NT
Consultation by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for the request for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping opinion under Regulation 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (as amended), in respect of the proposed part retention and extension, and part demolition and construction of a new mixed-use development. Within the northern portion of the Site, the Proposed Development will include an extension of two floors to the existing retained elements of the Calcutta House building, housing higher education uses (Use Class F1), resulting in overall eight levels (including ground level), and providing a total of circa 10,588m2 of educational space, as well as approximately 215m2 of retail (Use Class E) and 110m2 of community uses (Use Class F2), along with associated public realm, cycle parking spaces, refuse storage, plant and loading bay. Within the southern portion of the Site, the Proposed Development will include the construction of a new multi-level Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (Sui Generis) building and community facilities (Use Class F2) ranging from approximately 2 to 21 storeys in height (including ground level and excluding rooftop plant), with approximately 787 rooms, associated amenity and ancillary space (LBTH ref: PA/25/01647).
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PA/25/01946/NC Granted
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25/01261/NMA Awaiting decision
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Application for non-material amendment under S96A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) to amend condition 43 (Approved drawings) of planning permission no. 24/00472/FULL for the relocation of the podium canopy.
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26/00411/MDC Awaiting decision
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26/00698/MDC Awaiting decision
Middlesex Street Estate Gravel Lane London E1 7AF
Submission of Access Management Plan pursuant to discharge of condition 21 of 24/00472/FULL dated 22.11.2024.