The proposed venue at 11 Strand would trade across the upper and lower ground floors and would be able to serve around 320 covers.
According to the application submitted to Westminster City Council, the pub would open from 7am, closing at 23:30 in the week and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, with earlier closure on Sundays.
Conditions
JDW has put forward various conditions, including daily door supervision and additional staffing during the initial weeks of trading.
Entry and exit would be limited to the Charing Cross forecourt, with no outside seating. The site would operate without loud music, in line with other central London pubs within the group’s estate.
The application has prompted objections from local residents and businesses, who have raised concerns over congestion, the proposed smoking area, and the potential for late night disturbance, calling for earlier closing times and continuous door supervision throughout trading hours.
The location falls within an area identified by Westminster as having a high concentration of licensed premises.
Wetherspoon said it has undertaken pre-application discussions with council licensing officers, the Metropolitan Police and local stakeholders. Supporting documents include dispersal procedures and match day management plans intended to mitigate peak flows at nearby transport hubs.
The group successfully overturned an earlier refusal on planning grounds at appeal in June.
Expansion
The licensing bid comes as Wetherspoon accelerates its expansion programme.
The business has invested £25m into its estate this year and plans to open four further pubs before Christmas in Newcastle, Croydon, Stockton on Tees and Wetherby, with a Beaconsfield site due in January.
These follow two recently opened London sites, the Sun Wharf near London Bridge and the Sir Alexander Fleming near Paddington Basin.
The group also announced its first overseas pub at Alicante Airport, opening early next year as part of a wider plan to grow its international footprint.
In the UK holiday park sector, Haven is investing £9m to open four new Wetherspoon operated pubs in 2026, following the success of the partnership’s first five sites.
Wetherspoon has also expanded its franchise model, including a new agreement with the Papas Group signed in September.
