Westminster Draft City Plan (Partial Review)

Last updated: 29/11/2024

Westminster City Council is conducting a Partial Review of its City Plan 2040 to ensure that it is aligned with its Fairer Westminster Strategy. The review looks at three policy areas; affordable housing, retrofit first and site allocations.

Early engagement and soft testing

In November and December 2023, the City Council conducted informal engagement with WPA members on potential changes it wished to make as part of its Partial Review of the City Plan, including its draft Retrofit First and Embodied Carbon policy. You can view the slides from a joint WPA and Westminster City Council member briefing here, as well as an early draft of its retrofit first policy here. On behalf of members, WPA submitted a formal response to the City Council, which can be viewed here.

Formal & public consultation on the Partial Review

Westminster City Council conducted its Regulation 19 consultation on the Partial Review from the 14 March to the 9 May 2024 – the consultation website can be viewed here and our response here.

Proposed modifications to the Partial Review

Following WPA’s response and feedback, the City Council has made a number of changes to its draft Partial Review, including significant shifts in its proposed embodied carbon targets as part of its retrofit first policy. You can view the City Council’s full proposed modifications here and our response ahead of a Statement of Common Ground here.

Partial Review submission to the Secretary of State & upcoming public hearing

Westminster City Council has now submitted the Partial Review to the Secretary of State. The submission includes modifications made following the consultation process, as well as updated evidence and will be scrutinised during forthcoming public hearings (EiP) which will take place on Tuesday 29 April, Wednesday 30 April and Thursday 1 May 2025. You can view the Partial Review documents here.

Statement of Common Ground

Since September 2024, WPA and Westminster City Council have been working to finalise a Statement of Common Ground, which outlines the areas in which we agree and disagree. Westminster City Council has since made amendments to its proposed sequential test that we believe partially but not fully addresses member concerns. This document has been finalised and signed by both parties and will be submitted the inspector ahead of EiP.

Next steps

WPA will respond to Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) – a series of questions the inspector has asked about the Partial Review and in which further evidence can be submitted. The deadline for this is Friday 28 March. These questions can be view here.

All Partial Review documents and WPA responses

21 December 2023: Response to Westminster City Council’s draft Retrofit Policy

14 March to 9 May 2024: Westminster City Council’s Regulation 19 consultation partial review of the City Plan

29 April 2024: Our response to Westminster City Council’s Partial Review of the City Plan

7 November 2024: Westminster City Plan Partial Review – Submission to Secretary of State

25 November 2024: Our Response to Westminster City Council’s Westminster City Plan Partial Review – Retrofit First proposed modifications

28 November 2024: City Plan 2019-2040 Partial Review Examination- Submission documents