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Decisions

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Decisions published

28/10/2020 - The Planning White Paper 'Planning for the Future' ref: 1293    Recommendations Approved

Decision Maker: Planning & City Development Committee

Made at meeting: 28/10/2020 - Planning & City Development Committee

Decision published: 04/01/2022

Effective from: 28/10/2020

Decision:

6.1       The Committee received a report which provided an overview of the   proposals set out by Government in the Planning White Paper ‘Planning for    the Future’ and identifies those aspects that would have the most significant             impact on planning in Westminster, should they come forward in the form            currently proposed.

 

6.2       The Planning White Paper proposes significant change to the current        planning system in England. The aims of the White Paper, to increase      housing delivery, speed up and streamline both the plan-making and             decision-making processes and better promote ‘beautiful’ design are            supported. However, the lack of detail in the White Paper leaves significant        questions about how these aspirations are to be achieved and in many             instances further detail will be required following consultation on the White    Paper to fully understand the impact that the proposals will have on the     management of development and the delivery of good growth in Westminster   in the future.

 

6.3       Members held discussion and noted the following: -

 

·       That the three main pillars of the White Paper were Planning for Development, Planning for Beautiful and Sustainability and Planning for infrastructure and Connected Places.

 

·       That local design guidance and design codes would be prepared with community involvement and would shift the debate around design, characteristics and desirability of developments from being considered at the planning application stage to the planning policy setting stage. The White Paper does not provide any definition about ‘localities’ or how areas would be grouped for the purpose of delivering design codes. The Committee noted that this was of high importance as the built environment of the City has a rich variety of buildings of significant design quality and historic interest and it was preferred for design codes to be flexible and allow local input.

 

·       That there was uncertainty on whether there will be any Growth Areas in the City. At present there is no information on how the Growth, Renewal and Protect Areas would be defined. The Committee noted that further clarification on these three Areas would be given after the consultation ends and that it was probable that some part of the City might be deemed to be ‘Growth Areas’.    

 

·       That the Council’s Innovation and Change Service had submitted a response to the consultation regarding the Governments proposed changes to the standard method for assessing local housing need. The Committee noted that there were concerns about the proposed methodology and this was due to the process largely focusing on the maximisation of housing stock, with insufficient regard to the physical, economic and other constraints that can serve to limit housing supply..

 

·       The Planning Service had liaised with Innovation and Change Service regarding responses to the consultation and that local amenity societies and other interested parties had been liaised with to ascertain views about proposed changes and their likely effects on local communities.

 

·       That it was not anticipated that the number of appeals would increase when parts of the Planning White Paper becomes legislation. The Committee noted that the White Paper indicated that there would be regimes within Growth and Renewal areas which may remove the need for full planning applications, with greater consideration of appropriate development in these areas being undertaken at local plan stage or through further expansion of permitted development rights.

 

·       There was a strong indication that conservation areas would continue to be protected and that development in these areas would continue to be assessed under the existing planning regime.

 

·       That development schemes involving the reconversions of office units back into residential units would be largely led by market trends and demands. The Committee noted that there was existing policy which aimed to protect office units and that there had been a considerable reduction in the number of these units. There has been an increase in the demand for smaller local offices in residential areas outside the capital.

 

RESOLVED:

 

  1. Members considered the contents of the report and noted the possible impacts of the Planning White Paper proposals on future planning plan making and decision making in Westminster.

 

  1. That the members of the Committee be provided with a copy of the Council’s response to the Planning White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’.

 

  1. That the Committee comments on the proposals listed in the Planning White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’ be included in the Council’s response to the consultation.

 

 


13/12/2021 - Church Street Regeneration (Site A) In Principle Compulsory Purchase Order Resolution ref: 1590    Recommendations Approved

Approval, in principle, the use of compulsory purchase powers for the acquisition of the land required for development of Church Street (Site A) 

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Made at meeting: 13/12/2021 - Cabinet

Decision published: 13/12/2021

Effective from: 13/12/2021

Decision:

Councillor Acton introduced this report, emphasising that the Church Street Regeneration scheme is critical to the Council’s drive to address the shortage of affordable housing in the city, delivering 2000 new homes, community spaces and other major benefits. Councillor Acton made clear that any CPO in place would be used only as a last resort and that the focus would remain on working with businesses and residents to acquire the necessary land and buildings on mutually agreeable terms.

 

The report outlines that where the use of compulsory purchase powers are invoked a further detailed report and the proposed Statement of Reasons would come forward to Members setting out the justification for the making of the CPO in question.

 

Councillor Harvey asked how the Council would support those with an emotional attachment to their home to move without invoking the use of compulsory purchase powers. Councillor Acton assured him that extensive support was in place to help residents, with a dedicated team of officers embedded within the local community to better align opportunities with individual needs.

 

Councillor Green noted that the decant of some residents had begun and that there were several families already scheduled to move to new homes nearby on the West End Green site in his ward. Councillor Green noted that the new homes were of a high standard, including accommodation that was dementia friendly.

 

Councillor Robathan reiterated that the regeneration of Church Street is a hugely important scheme for residents but that the use of any compulsory purchase powers must only be as a last resort when all other efforts to reach an agreement had been exhausted.

 

Prior to voting Councillor Robathan asked Hazel Best, the Council’s legal representative, to confirm that Councillor Green was able to participate in voting on this item given his role as Cabinet Member for Planning. Hazel confirmed that there was no conflict as no live planning application.

 

RESOLVED: Cabinet agreed that 'in principle' use of compulsory purchase powers be made available to assemble the land required for the redevelopment of Site A should all reasonable attempts to acquire the necessary land and interests fail.


22/11/2021 - Covent Garden Neighbourhood Traffic Management Scheme Experimental Traffic Order. ref: 1541    Recommendations Approved

Decision Maker: Executive Director City Management and Communities

Decision published: 22/11/2021

Effective from: 22/11/2021

Decision:

PROJECT SUMMARY

 

The Covent Garden Neighbourhood Traffic Management Scheme (NTM) involves the

implementation of a series of measures with the objective of reducing through traffic

across the whole Covent Garden district (the district by area is located approx. 70% in City of Westminster (WCC) and 30% in London Borough of Camden (LBC)). These

measures include the introduction of pedestrian and cycle zones, traffic directional

changes and banned turns.

 

It is intended the scheme is implemented on a trial basis using an experimental traffic

order (ETO) with a maximum duration of 18 months. Impacts would be monitored during this trial period and minor changes made where necessary and if a problem is identified.

 

A final public consultation will be held towards the end of the ETO period together with a review of the scheme monitoring data. A further decision will then be sought on whether the scheme should be made permanent.

 

The scheme proposals have undergone extensive stakeholder and public engagement and the level of support is positive across both authorities.

 

WCC have obtained funding from Transport for London to cover the full estimated cost of the scheme following the approval of our funding application in December 2020. This is a WCC led project and has been developed jointly and in close collaboration with LBC.

 

Recommendation

 

This report seeks approval from the Executive Director Environment & City Management to:

 

1.     Proceed to the detailed design and implement the proposals identified in this report, together with capital expenditure set out in the report necessary to implement the proposals.

2.     Further decision making, such as detailed design and minor amendments to the ETO, that do not require further public consultation, are delegated to the Director of City Highways.

 

The scheme covers areas within the City of Westminster as well as within Camden and as such approval to proceed is also being sought in parallel by Camden officers with their respective decision makers. Camden members and officers have been supportive of these proposals from the outset.

Lead officer: Adnan Rahim