Green plaques

Our Westminster green plaque scheme launched in 1991 to commemorate the diverse cultural heritage of Westminster and the people who have lived or worked here. It highlights buildings associated with people of renown who have made lasting contributions to society. 

Nominations for new green plaques are reviewed by an independent advisory panel ahead of formal approval.

Criteria

Our green plaques commemorate people who:

• are regarded as eminent by most members of their profession
• deserve recognition for their genuine contribution to society or for improving lives
• are reasonably well known
• and where sufficient time has elapsed since their life to show their lasting contribution to society.

The scheme also marks buildings of historical interest, that form a significant part of the heritage of the city. Please bear in mind that:

• a historical or cultural event of great significance must have taken place in any building that is nominated
• nominations will not be considered on the basis of anniversaries or short stays from public figures alone
• shops, restaurants and organisations must have existed for at least 100 years to be considered for a green plaque.

Submit a green plaque nomination

Fill in a nomination form

Process

Please ensure that sponsorship of £3,500 plus VAT is in place before you submit your nomination. This fee helps to cover the cost of administering the scheme.

1. Please submit your nomination using the nomination form above.
2. We will contact you to clarify any additional information that is required.
3. Your nomination will be shared with an advisory panel for consideration against the criteria.
4. Meetings to decide which nominations are taken forward will take place in July and January. Please keep these timings in mind when applying.
5. We will contact the building owner to seek permission to install the green plaque and prepare an application for listed building consent, if it is required. If you have a specific timeframe in mind, it helps if you have already secured building owner permission. Please note that Green Plaques cannot be placed on buildings owned by Grosvenor.
6. The plaque wording is agreed. There is a maximum word count of 25 words for the plaque to be legible, or lower if the plaque is installed at height. There is a layout template for all plaques to ensure a legible and consistent style for plaques across the city. Logos are not usually possible if the plaque is to remain legible but there is space for a sponsor name at the bottom of the plaque.
7. Your nomination is shared with ward councillors and a full report is prepared for formal approval by Cabinet Members.
8. Following approval, your plaque is manufactured and installed.

If you would like to organise an unveiling ceremony, we can provide an unveiling stand and curtain and help you with any logistics. It is your responsibility to organise and cover the cost of the ceremony and reception including microphones and speakers if required. 

Westminster Green Plaques are 18" diameter and weigh approximately 4kg.

Recent green plaques

Café Monico

11-17 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 7AD

Founded in 1877 by brothers Giacomo and Battista Monico who emigrated from the Swiss canton of Ticino. The magnificent Shaftesbury Avenue façade formed an important part of the wider Piccadilly Circus setting and the corner of Piccadilly Circus and Shaftesbury Avenue and became known as ‘Monico’s Corner’.

Giacomo and Battista Monico were two of many immigrants from Ticino who established themselves as restaurateurs, chefs, waiters and entrepreneurs in London, promoting the cultural and gastronomic scene of the city. Café Monico represents the cultural contribution of the Ticinese community to London gastronomy from the 19th century.

The plaque was installed in December 2024.

Stanley Kwai-Tsun Tse

SeeWoo, 18-20 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA 

A community leader in London's Chinatown and founder of the SeeWoo Asian supermarket in 1975. A pioneer in bringing Chinese ingredients to London's restaurants and dinner tables, he was instrumental in shaping the area into the cultural hub it is today. The plaque was unveiled on Friday 24 May 2024.

Find out more.

Sir Hugh Casson

Hereford Mansions, Hereford Road, W2 5BA

The plaque was launched on Friday 1 September 2023 to commemorate the renowned architect with close links to the City of Westminster. He is credited with bridging the gap in art and architecture between traditionalists and modernists, most notably as Director of Architecture of the Festival Britain in 1951. 

Find out more.

Royal Dental Hospital

Edwardian Hampshire Hotel, Leicester Square, WC2H 7LH

Unveiled on Wednesday 29 March 2023 to commemorate the oldest dental school in the UK, 1858 - 1985. Established as a teaching hospital to regulate and improve standards of dental care, it was first located at 32 Soho Square and achieved the backing of the Royal College of Surgeons. 

Under the patronage of King Edward VII, it became the Royal Dental Hospital in October 1901. Find out more.

Rev Dr John Clifford

Westbourne Park Baptist Church, Westbourne Park Villas, W2 5DX

Unveiled on Sunday 11 September 2022 to commemorate Rev Dr John Clifford (1836-1923), a world-renowned social reformer and leader of the Baptist Church. He became a Minister at Praed Street Baptist Church in Paddington in 1858 where he remained until 1876 when the growth of his congregation led to the opening of a new chapel in Westbourne Park.

He became a national political figure in 1899 and helped to establish Westbourne Park Institute in Paddington to provide free adult education amongst many other achievements of national and international significance.

Windrush Generation

Paddington Station, Clocktower Arch (platform 1), Praed Street, Paddington, W2 1HB

Unveiled on Windrush Day, 22 June 2021 by Peter Straker. The plaque marks the arrival of Caribbean Citizens into Westminster and beyond who came to help rebuild war-torn Britain from 1948. Find out more.

See all green plaques in Westminster

Document

Full list of green plaques in Westminster PDF, 46.8 KB, 11 pages

Blue plaques

To learn more about the blue plaques in London, please contact English Heritage. This is a separate scheme with different criteria.

Advisory panel

• Rachel Anthony, The City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association
• Helen Glew, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Westminster
• Gillian Staples, Archives, Collections & Resources Lead, Westminster City Council
• Colin Thom, Senior Research Associate, Survey of London, UCL Faculty of the Built Environment

Contact

For further information about green plaques in Westminster please email [email protected].