Agenda item

5.1      The Committee received a report which provided an update on the Partial                  Review of the City Plan and an overview of the council’s response to the             government’s recent consultation on changes to the NPPF.

5.2       Members held a discussion and noted the following: -

5.2.1   That research undertaken by Wessex Economics previously recommended.

that 56% of affordable housing should be designated intermediate housing and 44% as social housing. The Committee noted the important roles which key workers held and that the positions they held encompassed a wide range of roles and acknowledged that this cohort would also be eligible for social housing. The Partial Review of the City Plan would result in the ratio of intermediate housing and social housing being revisited with the intention to prioritise social housing as had been the case before the adoption of the current City Plan. This would ensure that there is more housing stock which is genuinely affordable and have longer secured tenancies. The Partial Review of affordable housing will undergo consultation and would be supported by a viability study.

5.2.2   That the social housing waiting list was lengthy and that a large proportion of             Westminster residents would not be eligible for these tenancies. Members             noted that if the current tenure split is reversed the proposals for affordable             housing would ensure that 6 out of 10 affordable homes would be designated         for social rents and that 4 out of 10 would be for immediate rent and be at the lower end of the rent spectrum. It was not intended that Shared Ownership       would form part of the intermediate provision.

5.2.3    That changes in ratio for affordable housing would not result in more dense             developments and that policies such as retrofit would guard against this.        'The Paddington Green Police Station development had 50% affordable    housing as it was situated on land owned by MOPAC 10% of this affordable             housing provision would be offsite and outside Westminster on land similarly             owned

5.2.4    In terms of proposed reforms to the NPPF being proposed by government,         Members noted that the Government's proposed reforms to the NPPF        included proposals to increase fees in relation to retrospective planning             applications. To penalties, It was already possible to levy certain penalties,      including those there were instruments in the planning regime which enabled            penalties to be levied at applicants. These included developers and      Individuals being required to pay penalties following investigations by the            Enforcement Team. Where unapproved operations of buildings had resulted    in profits, these operations were commonly penalised under the proceeds of crime legislation.

5.3       Members welcomed that the council intends to continue working on

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) and noted that the Local Development Scheme was available on the Council’s webpage which detailed the timetabling of policy productions, and these including indicative timetables of SPDs formulations. The Committee were informed that publications of these information was a statutory requirement.

RESOLVED

1.  That the webpage link for the Local Development Scheme be circulated to the Committee within the meeting minutes – see https://www.westminster.gov.uk/media/document/westminster-local-development-scheme-.

2.     That the contents of the report be noted