Historic West Kensington Pub Development Approved
The Clarence will have 11 flats added to its upper floors
The Clarence Pub on North End Road
July 31, 2026
The Clarence, a historic North End Road pub with deep roots in the local community and a reputation as a Chelsea-friendly match-day venue, is set for a major mixed-use transformation following unanimous approval by Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s Planning Committee. The decision was made at the committee’s meeting on 7 July, endorsing the officer recommendation to grant permission.
The scheme involves the reconfiguration and partial retention of the public house at basement and ground-floor level, alongside substantial extensions and new roof additions. The upper floors will be converted into eleven self-contained flats, while the ground floor will retain enlarged ancillary commercial space and bin storage. External alterations include new openings facing May Street and new doors and windows to the courtyard.
Planning officers described the proposal as making effective use of the site and contributing positively to local housing supply. The committee agreed that the new homes would be of an acceptable standard and that the overall design quality was high. Heritage considerations were judged to be satisfactorily addressed, with the scheme deemed not harmful to the character of the area or to neighbouring amenity. Issues relating to highways, energy, ecology, flood risk, air quality and land contamination were also considered to have been adequately resolved through conditions and legal agreements.
Visualisation from planning documents of how the pub might look
A central factor in the committee’s decision was the retention of the public house. The Clarence, dating from 1867, is noted in planning documents as a rare two-room locals’ pub with distinctive historic features. While the ground-floor pub area will be modestly reduced and the beer garden made smaller, the basement will remain unchanged. Officers concluded that the alterations were unlikely to undermine the pub’s long-term viability.
The approved plans include two additional floors at roof level and five-storey rear and side extensions, creating a significantly larger building footprint. An undercroft will be formed to allow access to the rear yard from May Street, supporting the new residential layout and commercial space.
The Clarence has long been a Chelsea-friendly pub, known for its early opening on match days and its role as a gathering point for supporters. The redevelopment ensures that the pub will continue to operate, albeit within a reconfigured footprint, while delivering new housing and modernised commercial space in a prominent corner of North End Road.
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