Filming in the City of London: permits and fees
The City of London Corporation manages filming permits within the Square Mile, including Leadenhall Market, the Guildhall, and all public streets.
Who issues permits
The City of London Corporation is the local authority for the Square Mile, distinct from all other London boroughs. Its filming team handles permits for public streets and Corporation-managed assets. The Corporation owns and manages Leadenhall Market and the Barbican Estate (via the Barbican Centre). St Paul’s Cathedral is independently managed by the Dean and Chapter — a separate enquiry is required.
Process
Contact the Corporation’s filming team for public street and Corporation-asset filming within the Square Mile. Allow three to four weeks. For Leadenhall Market, contact the market management team within the Corporation. For the Barbican Arts Centre, contact the Barbican directly. For Tower Bridge, contact the Tower Bridge Exhibition team — it is managed by the Corporation’s bridges team.
Fees
Fees are set on application and vary by location and production scale. Leadenhall Market, the Guildhall, and the Barbican all have published hire rate structures.
Weekday access considerations
The City is an active financial district on weekdays, particularly during morning and evening peak hours. Productions shooting exterior scenes should plan carefully around commuter flow. Sunday filming offers the most access — streets are quiet and the Corporation can accommodate larger productions with minimal disruption.
Common reasons applications are refused or delayed
The City’s filming team operates to strict timelines given the density of financial-district activity, and late or incomplete applications are the main source of refusal. Common reasons:
- Insurance documentation with missing endorsements — the City typically requires cover adequate for the specific activity, not a blanket PLI certificate
- Risk assessment too thin for the proposed scope, particularly for road-closure or night-shooting scenarios in the Square Mile
- No evidence of neighbouring consent where the shoot directly affects office building entrances, delivery access, or overlooked residential units in the Barbican
- Date conflict with a pre-existing City of London Corporation event, Lord Mayor’s Show preparations, or scheduled highway works
- Application under the three-to-four week lead time for any work requiring road closures or significant crew presence
- Unresolved complaint from a previous shoot at the same City location
Even for straightforward exterior work, the Corporation expects complete paperwork on first submission.
Escalation and neighbouring consent
The City is almost entirely a commercial district during working hours, which simplifies the neighbouring-consent picture for most shoots: written notification to affected building managers or facilities teams is standard. The threshold rises for Barbican residential blocks — the Corporation will want written acknowledgement from estate management rather than informal notification.
If a decision is contested, the route runs through the Corporation’s filming officer, then head of service, then member escalation via the relevant Court of Common Council member or portfolio holder for public realm. Any shoot that affects a public carriageway within the Square Mile requires Met Police coordination alongside the Corporation’s own Highways team — both must be in agreement before a road closure can be confirmed. Start both tracks early; the City’s Highways sign-off alone can take two weeks.
Contact
- Email: filming@cityoflondon.gov.uk
- Web: cityoflondon.gov.uk
Apply via the City of London Corporation → cityoflondon.gov.uk
FAQ
- Who issues this filming permit?
- City of London Corporation issues filming permits for its area. Applications go through the council's filming / events team — not the local parks department or police, although those may also be consulted.
- How long is the lead time?
- Allow at least 21 working days. Complex applications involving road closures, drone use, or multiple locations need more — plan 2–4 weeks ahead where possible.
- What's the typical cost?
- City of London Corporation quotes filming fees case-by-case based on scale, duration, and public-realm impact. Small documentary crews are often charged an admin fee only; feature-film shoots involving road closures cost meaningfully more.
- What does this permit cover?
- The permit typically covers streets, parks, civic buildings, commercial. Private property and other national-body land (e.g. Crown Estate, National Trust, Royal Parks) may need separate consent.
- How do I apply?
- Apply via City of London Corporation's filming page at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk. Submit your dates, locations, crew numbers, and equipment list. Expect a risk-assessment request and, for larger shoots, a pre-filming meeting.