Agenda item

Written updates from the Deputy Leader/Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage (to follow), the Cabinet Member for City Highways and the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm (to follow).            

Question And Answer session at the meeting with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm.

4.1       The Committee received written updates from the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage, the Cabinet Member for City Highways and the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm on significant matters within their portfolios.  

4.2       The Chairman welcomed Councillor Astaire to the meeting and congratulated him on his recent appointment as the Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm. 

4.3       The Committee put questions to and received responses from Councillor Astaire on a number of matters that were relevant to the Planning and Public Realm portfolio.  These included the following topics:

·           Should pubs be given special status in order to protect them?  Councillor Astaire replied that it was something that could be looked at.  He believed there were other greater priorities for the City Plan in the first instance.  He was a believer that the market generally corrected itself.  There were the instances of The Star pub and The Clifton pub in St John’s Wood.  He referred also to a recent Evening Standard article which had quoted the British Beer and Pubs Association as being of the view that more assistance was needed in relation to levies and taxes rather than matters being addressed via the planning system.

·           Councillor Astaire’s Cabinet Member update stated that a consultation document would be issued at the end of March about the right kind of growth to deliver economic and social benefits for people in Westminster.  The question was asked how long the consultation process would be and who would be consulted.  Barry Smith, Head of City Policy & Strategy, replied that it would be approximately eight weeks in duration.  Councillor Astaire added that the consultation document would be distributed to stakeholders including the Westminster Property Association (‘WPA’) and amenity societies.  It would also be available on the Council’s website.  There would be a launch event in City Hall on Monday 27 March.

·           The Cabinet Member was asked what changes he was likely to bring to the planning portfolio.  He replied that he was keen to be a critical friend of the development industry and would emphasise that they should discharge their obligations to the community.  He was looking to work with developers to ensure that as much affordable housing was built on site as possible and that as much income for affordable housing could be obtained as possible.  Councillor Astaire drew the Committee’s attention to the fact that he would be responsible for planning policy and would not sit as a Member of the planning committees considering applications.  He added that he would not be meeting with public affairs consultants and had produced a Guidance Note on how he and the Chair of the Planning Committee would engage with developers in order to provide transparency.  

·           The Cabinet Member was asked about building height.  Without pre-judging the results of the ‘Getting the Right Kind of Growth’ consultation he expressed the view that if the Council was going to ask the developer to give more, such as for affordable housing, the Council might also have to potentially offer more and this could mean that buildings on site could be higher or denser.

·           How many planning committee decisions had been contrary to the officers’ recommendations over the previous two years?  How many cases were won on appeal?  Councillor Astaire replied that he would provide a written response to the questions.

·           Councillor Alexander referred to the concerns that local residents had in Marylebone Road regarding big developments being applied for in a piecemeal fashion.  She requested an area plan and gave examples including the demolition of the NCR building near Marylebone Station that she believed would create a huge logistical problem for the area, the North West House opposite and a development with affordable housing on the corner of Old Marylebone Road.  Councillor Astaire stated that he would examine the situation and would look to respond to Councillor Alexander directly.

·           Was it the case that permitted development rights could override conservation area considerations in relation to rooftop extensions?  The Cabinet Member replied that it was his understanding that permitted development rights did override conservation area considerations provided it was not a listed building.  He also made the point that he would like to examine whether the policy towards roof extensions was too restrictive.  He wished to examine whether some flexibility could be provided to families regarding developments upwards in order that they had the opportunity to remain in Westminster.

·           Councillor Astaire provided clarification that he was keen for developers to build homes on site and have a mixed use borough that works for everyone.  If they were not able to do that he wanted to see the developers build further away, if it delivered more homes.  The matter would need to be considered on a case by case basis.

·           What was the current position regarding the submission of neighbourhood plans and was it the case that the neighbourhood forums have five years to submit their plans?  Mr Smith confirmed that the only neighbourhood plan formally submitted for comments was from Knightsbridge Neighbourhood Forum.  There had been informal discussions with Mayfair Neighbourhood Forum.  Last week Fitzrovia West had issued their plan informally.  There had been informal discussions with Queen’s Park regarding their plan.  Mr Smith also confirmed that the neighbourhood forums had five years to submit their plans.  After that they had to re-apply to be a neighbourhood forum.

·           Would everything be done to ensure that the Carlton Tavern was re-built as required?  John Walker, Director of Planning, provided an update that there were weekly meetings taking place with the owners of the site on the detail of rebuilding the pub and they were actively engaged.  He was cautiously optimistic.

4.4      Councillor Scarborough requested that a question was forwarded to Councillor Chalkley who was not in attendance at the meeting.  Councillor Chalkley’s Cabinet Member Update had informed Members that thirty sites had been chosen to trial a 20mph scheme, encompassing 40 Westminster schools.  Councillor Scarborough asked which sites and schools were involved and when the scheme would be implemented.  It was agreed that it would be requested that this list, when received, would be circulated to all Committee Members.

4.5      The Chairman stated that it would be appreciated if Councillor Astaire could give Members advanced warning when any prominent policy matters arose in order that the Committee was able to have some input into the process.   

4.6       ACTION: The following actions arose:

·           That a written response is provided to the Committee in relation to the questions ‘how many planning committee decisions had been contrary to the officers’ recommendations over the previous two years?  How many cases were won on appeal?’ (Councillor Daniel Astaire, Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm and Madeleine Hale, Senior Cabinet Officer).

·           That Councillor Astaire contacts Councillor Alexander about developments in the Marylebone Road area (Councillor Daniel Astaire, Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Realm and Madeleine Hale, Senior Cabinet Officer).

·           That a response be sought from Councillor Chalkley in respect of Councillor Scarborough’s question on the twenty mph trial scheme (Councillor Danny Chalkley, Cabinet Member for City Highways and Sion Pryse, Cabinet Officer) and the answer circulated to the Committee.

4.7       RESOLVED:

That the contents of the Cabinet Member Updates be noted.