city of westminster unitary development plan monitoring report… · 2008. 1. 3. · ‘offpipe’,...

City of Westminster UDP Monitoring Report: 1997-2001

CITY OF WESTMINSTER

UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN

MONITORING REPORT: 1997-2001

Director of Planning and TransportationWestminster City CouncilWestminster City Hall64 Victoria StreetLondon SW1E 6QP

November 2003


CONTENTS Page

Foreword 1

Introduction 3

Chapter 1: Background to Westminster 5

Chapter 2: Commerce 15

Chapter 3: Housing 23

Chapter 4: Transport 31

Chapter 5: North West Westminster 37

Chapter 6: Social and Community Facilities 41

Chapter 7: Shopping and Services 51

Chapter 8: Tourism, Arts, Culture and Entertainment 63

Chapter 9: Environment and River Thames 75

Chapter 10: Urban Design and Conservation 83

Appendix 1: Information Sources 89

Appendix 2: Classification of Planning Applications 93

Appendix 3: Shopping Area Health Checks 95

Appendix 4: Award Winning Buildings in Westminster 97

Appendix 5: Supplementary Design Guidance 99

References 101

Glossary 105


1

FOREWORD

Westminster is a city of intense activity, great contrast and much competition.It is at the heart of a ‘world-class’ capital city, catering every day for largenumbers of workers and visitors: and it is the home of nearly a quarter of amillion residents. The City accommodates many of the functions of the Stateand the Government. It is a centre for the headquarters of national andinternational organisations associated with business and trade; and a locationof regional, national and international significance for retailing, highereducation, religious affairs, the medical, legal and other professions, media,arts, culture, entertainment and tourism.

The policies in the adopted and replacement Unitary Development Plansprepared by the City Council, seek to balance the competing claims on land inthe City by keeping metropolitan functions in the central mixed-use zone, theCentral Activities Zone, while allowing for change and growth within it. Thepolicies give priority to housing wherever possible and practicable, and seekto help communities to thrive. They aim to maintain the distinctive character ofthe City’s communities and ‘villages’, and to protect the environment andWestminster’s very special heritage of buildings.

Monitoring the impact of policies is important to us because, being at thecentre of London, Westminster is exceptionally responsive to social andeconomic change. Different policies are likely to retain their validity fordifferent periods. Policies are tested at the plan-making stage, at the UDPpublic inquiry, and at appeals against refusal of planning permission. Up todate and effective policies require an understanding of market anddevelopment trends. Regular monitoring and review is essential to ensurethat policies continue to be relevant and effective.

Cllr Angela Hooper, CBE DLChairman, Planning and Development Committee

4 November 2003


2


3

INTRODUCTION

Westminster’s Development Plans

The analysis of the effectiveness of planning policies in this report covers,broadly speaking, the five-year period from January 1997 to December 2001.Throughout that period, the main development plan provisions which haveapplied to the City have been those in the City of Westminster UnitaryDevelopment Plan (UDP), adopted by the City Council in July 1997.

A replacement for the UDP was placed on First Deposit by the City Councilfor representations from 15 January to 23 February 2001, and a revised(Second Deposit) version (RUDP) was placed on deposit from 21 January to1 March 2002. Further revisions, in the form of a pre-inquiry RUDP, wereagreed by the City Council’s Cabinet on 29 August 2002. A public inquiry intoobjections to the RUDP opened on 15 October 2002 and closed on 28 March2003. Following consideration of the Inspectors’ report and recommendations,it is anticipated that the final version of the Replacement Unitary DevelopmentPlan (RUDP) will be adopted in late 2004.

This report covers policy matters which appear in the adopted UDP andvarious additional issues which have arisen since 1997 and are reflected inthe emerging RUDP. It continues the monitoring of planning policies whichwere covered in an earlier report relating to the period from 1992 to 1996.

This report also takes forward the undertaking given in policy STRA 36 of thereplacement UDP that the City Council will ‘monitor change as it affectsWestminster and the policies of the Plan’. Government guidance in PlanningPolicy Guidance 12 (PPG 12) Development Plans (1999) requires us to keepunder review the matters that may be expected to affect the development orplanning of Westminster and recommends that monitoring be an integral partof the overall process of plan preparation.

In addition to the five-yearly monitoring report on UDP policies, the CityCouncil also monitors whether specific schemes granted planning permissionhave been implemented. This annual monitoring of ‘pipelines’ is carried outfor certain types of development, as follows:

� ‘Respipe’, covering all new-build residential schemes and those involving achange of use or division of a residential property

� ‘Offpipe’, covering all schemes involving 1000 sq. m or more of officefloorspace

� ‘Hotpipe’, for schemes involving hotel uses� ‘Entspipe’ covering all entertainment use applications since 2001.


4

The City Council also contributes to and uses the Greater London Authority’sLondon Development Monitoring System (LDMS). This is a London-widemonitoring scheme, set up in 1989, which monitors all major developmentschemes. It assisted the preparation of the Mayor’s Spatial DevelopmentStrategy, the draft London Plan, and will be used in the monitoring of thatplan. The LDMS classifies a ‘major development’ as one involving over 1,000sq m of floorspace; or hotel or hostel developments involving 10 or morerooms; or housing developments involving ten or more self contained units.

Targets and Indicators

National Planning Policy Guidance (PPG 12) requires that every developmentplan should set out the aims, objectives and targets of the plan, and that thepolicies and proposals in development plans should be expressed in a formwhich will facilitate monitoring and review. Such an approach can provide aconsistent basis for monitoring whether the plan is achieving what it sets outto achieve, and identifying whether the plan needs to be changed in someway. In addition, ‘Best Value’ legislation places a duty on local authorities toseek continuous improvement in the way they deliver services. Monitoringcontributes to the measurement of that intention.

Future Proposals for Monitoring

The Government’s proposals for reforming the planning system aim to make itfaster, fairer and more predictable. These proposals involve the replacementof Unitary Development Plans by Local Development Frameworks (LDFs),which will comprise of a core strategy, a proposals section and area actionplans. The Government intends that each LDF should be kept under reviewand updated as necessary, rather than on a fixed cycle. This will make theneed for regular monitoring vital for the revision of policies. The reformproposals include a requirement that local planning authorities shouldproduce annual monitoring reports on the implementation of their policies andproposals. The Secretary of State will be able to direct that reviews should becarried out, if necessary.

The City Council intends, therefore, to produce an annual report ofperformance indicators to monitor whether key policies in the UDP areachieving the overall aim and vision of the Plan. An initial list of performanceindicators will be issued separately for public consultation as part of the LocalDevelopment Scheme preparation and possibly as Supplementary PlanningGuidance.

It is likely that future monitoring will entail a policy and style rather differentfrom the approach in this report, and will reflect best practice guidancepublished by the Government.


5

CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND TO WESTMINSTER

Population

1.1 The Census for 2001 published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS)gives the figure for Westminster’s resident population as 181,279. Comparedwith 244,597 in the ONS 2000 mid-year estimate, this represents a loss of63,318 (25.9%). The Council is firmly of the view that the 2001 figure is anunderestimate. The ONS now state that the mid-1981 population estimate isthe last ‘reliable’ population data which it released before 2001. If the ONSfigure is right, Westminster’s population would have decreased by 7,000 inthe last 20 years. This contradicts much available evidence. The key points insupport of the Council’s contention include:

� recent analysis based on the number of households on the Council Taxregister and electoral registration data suggests that Westminster’spopulation is in the region of 231,000

� Westminster has consistently been recognised as having an increasingpopulation, with every ONS mid-year estimate from 1991 showing apopulation increase

� Westminster’s electoral roll has increased by 26% since 1991

� National Health Service patent registers in Westminster have increasedby 19% since 1991, and by 11,000 people in the last four years alone

� nearly 8,100 additional residential properties have been completed inWestminster since 1991

� there has been a 28% growth in the City’s primary school pupils and a15% growth in secondary school pupils since 1991

� according to the 2001 Census all the boroughs surrounding Westminsterhave increased their population since 1991, whereas Westminster’s issaid to have decreased

� as indicated in a Parliamentary Question from Karen Buck, MP on 12 July2001, significant parts of the borough did not receive Census forms.

1.2 The City Council disputes the 2001 Census resident population figure andbelieves that it is significantly higher and likely to be closer to the Office ofNational Statistics mid-year estimate for 2000 of 244,600 people. The Councilis collating further evidence in relation to the accuracy of the 2001 Census,and wants the ONS to commission an independent and thorough review ofthe 2001 Census results for Westminster.


6

Land Use

1.3 The City’s public open spaces cover some 500 ha, including most of theRoyal Parks, which make the City among the greenest in the world. Buildingsin Westminster contain about 27 million square metres of floorspace, withabout 44% of them in more than one use. These key components of the City’spattern of development raise complex issues of land use and design.

Source: Land Use Survey, 1990 (survey conducted between 1987 and 1996)

Development Pressure

Figure 1.2: Decisions on Planning Applications, 1997-2001

1.4 Between 1992 and 1996, the City Council decided on average some 7,500planning applications per year. This average dropped to 7,100 per yearbetween 1997 and 2001. Despite this decrease the City remains the busiestplanning authority in the United Kingdom. In the last five years, minordevelopment types accounted for 29% of all applications decided. This is thelargest category, followed by advertisements and listed building/conservationarea consents, both of which have 22% of the total decided. Advertisement

F i g u r e 1 .1 L a n d u s e in W e s t m i n s t e r , 1 9 9 0

O th e r1 4 %

H o te ls & B o a r d in g A c c o m o d a t io n

5 %

In d u s t r y & V a c a n t I n d u s t r y

1 %R e s id e n t ia l & V a c a n t

R e s id e n t ia l3 8 %

O f f ic e s & V a c a n t O f f i c e s2 8 %

P u b l ic B u i ld in g s & V a c a n t P u b l i c B u i ld in g s

7 %

R e ta i l & R e ta i l S e r v ic e s ( in c l V a c a n t )

7 %

02000400060008000

1000012000


7

applications were the highest category decided between 1992 and1996,having 31% of the total. (For details of the types of application, seeAppendix 2.)

Table 1.1: Planning Application Decisions, 1997-2001Development Type 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 TotalMajor development 150 159 123 104 104 640Minor development 2,164 2,201 1,998 1,885 1,868 10,116Change of use 469 395 332 275 280 1,751Householder proposal 840 930 903 826 803 4,302Advertisements 1,662 1,568 1,414 1,411 1,770 7,825Listed buildings, etc 1,607 1,641 1,559 1,514 1,425 7,746Other 1,259 593 240 416 585 3,093

Totals 8,151 7,487 6,569 6,431 6,835 35,473

Source: PS2 Quarterly Returns to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

1.5 The City Council also deals with planning applications which are not includedin returns made to the Government. These include matters such asapplications for work to trees subject to tree preservation orders andobservations on other boroughs’ applications. The table below shows theCouncil’s performance on all types of planning applications handled.

Table 1.2: Planning Applications Received and Determined, 1999-2002Year Received Determined Less than eightweeks

More than eightweeks

1999/2000 9,944 8,112 71% 29%2000/2001 9,611 7,740 67% 33%2001/2002 10,027 8,485 70% 30%

1.6 The Council has a target of determining all planning applications within eightweeks of an application becoming valid. The above table shows that sevenout of ten applications meet that target.


8

Major Developments

Figure 1.3: Applications for Major Developments, 1997 - 2001

1.7 Major developments are those where ten or more residential units are to beconstructed ,or the site area is more than 0.5 hectares. For other uses, majordevelopments have at least 1,000 sq m of floorspace, or a site area of at least1 hectare. On average, 128 major applications have been decided each yearduring this period; about 2% of the total number of applications. Given thenature of development in Westminster this appears low. These applicationsare, however, in many instances the most complex and time consuming todeal with, because of their effects on surrounding uses and on townscape.1998 saw 159 major development types decided. From this high point thenumber dropped by a third to 104 decisions in 2000; it remained at the samelevel in 2002.

Minor Developments

Figure 1.4: Applications for Minor Developments 1997-2001

050

100150200

16001800200022002400


9

1.8 Minor development applications include small building extensions,replacement shopfronts, air conditioning installations and so on. They accountfor the largest category to be decided between 1997 and 2001. For the firstcouple of years in this current monitoring period they remained above 2,000applications decided annually but since 1998 they have fallen by 15% to1,868 in 2001.

Change of Use

Fig 1.5: Applications for Change of Use, 1997-2001

1.9 Change of use applications accounted for 5% of total decisions reachedduring the monitoring period. This is similar to the previous period. However,where there was an overall growth in the preceding five years, there has beena steady decline in the number of change of use decisions over the last fiveyears. From a high point of 469 decisions in 1997 there has been a drop byalmost 40% to 280 decisions in 2001. This possibly reflects the lack ofopportunity for change of use from offices to housing and from A2 uses to A3uses, which were prevalent between 1992 and 1996.

Householder proposals

Figure 1.6: Applications for Householder Developments, 1997- 2001

0100200300400500

700750800850900950


10

1.10 Householder applications are alterations to houses or flats, which do notinvolve a change in use or in the number of units. In the previous period,1992to 1996, this type of application increased steadily and continued to do so upto 1998. Although this type of application has now declined, they still remainabove 800 decisions in 2001 and account for 12% of total applicationsdecided between 1997 and 2001.

Advertisements

Figure 1.8: Applications for Advertisement Consent, 1997-2001

1.11 Advertisement consents reflect the designation of Regulation 7 areas whichapply to the siting of estate agents’ boards in sensitive areas within the City,such as the Maida Vale, Pimlico and Bayswater/Westbourne conservationareas. In the period between 1992 and 1996 more decisions were made inthis category of application compared to all other types. In this latest periodthis category falls second to minor type applications. On average 1,500advertisement applications were decided between 1997 and 2001. Previouslyit was 2,000. This drop is particularly a result of a less buoyant housingmarket.

‘Other’ Decisions

Figure 1.9: Applications for 'Other' Consents, 1997-2001

0500

100015002000

0

500

1000

1500


11

1.12 ‘Other’ decisions include proposals from Government agencies under theCircular 18/84 procedures and those involving certificates of lawful existinguse. This type of application fell by 81% between 1997 and 1999 from a highpoint of 1,259 decisions to a low point of 240 decisions. The trend was upagain between 1999 and 2001 but only to just under 600 decisions in 2001.

Listed Building & Conservation Area Consent

Figure 1.10: Applications for Listed Building and Conservations AreaConsent 1997-2001

1.13 Listed building and conservation area consents account for 22% of totaldecisions in the period 1997 to 2001. This category along with advertisementsaccounts for nearly a quarter of all decisions. This scale of activity arises fromthe fact that Westminster contains almost 11,000 buildings listed as havingspecial architectural and historic interest and that over 75% of the City’s landarea falls within its 53 designated Conservation Areas.

Appeals

1.14 Between 1997 and 2001 there were 1,202 appeal decisions made in respectof planning decisions made by the City Council. Of these, 374 (31%) wereallowed, 38 (3%) part-allowed and part-dismissed, and 791 (66%) whollydismissed. Table 1.3 below gives a breakdown of these decisions by type ofapplication.

0500

100015002000


12

Table 1.3: Appeals determined, by type of case, 1997-2001

Appeal type AllowedPart allowed

part,dismissed

Dismissed Total

Full planning permission 235 [54%] 15 [2%] 399 [62%] 649Enforcement 15 [18%] 0 68 [82%] 83Listed building consent 46 [24%] 9 [5%] 140 [72%] 195Listed building enforcement 3 [6%] 1 [2%] 45 [92%] 49Advertisement consent 72 [33%] 12 [5%] 135 [62%] 219Certificate of lawfulness 3 [43%] 1 [14%] 3 [43%] 7

Totals 374 [31%] 38 [3%] 790 [66%] 1,202

1.15 Table 1.4 below gives details of appeal cases by the principal use or issueinvolved. It should be noted that some cases involve more than one principalissue or use, and these thus appear twice in the table.

Table 1.4: Appeals determined, by type of issue, 1997-2001

Issue/use AllowedPart allowed

part,dismissed

Dismissed Total

Change in residential units 47 [27%] 7 [4%] 123 [69%] 177Residential alterationsor extensions

87 [26%] 3 [1%] 243 [73%] 333

Residential amenity 45 [40%] 2 [2%] 65 [58%] 112Use Class A1 [Shops] 30 [33%] 3 [3%] 58 [64%] 91Shopfronts 25 [38%] 3 [5%] 38 [58%] 66Social and community uses 3 [38%] 0 5 [63%] 8Use Class A3 [Cafés, etc] 90 [51%] 5 [3%] 80 [46%] 175Use Class B1 [Offices, etc] 23 [30%] 2 [3%] 51 [67%] 76Use Class C1 [Hotels, etc] 7 [16%] 1 [2%] 32 [82%] 44Transport and car parking 16 [32%] 1 [2%] 32 [64%] 50

Development Planning in Westminster

1.17 The Unitary Development Plan is based upon an approach to town planningthat has been broadly consistent for over three decades. Two themes havedominated town planning in Westminster in the post war period. The first hasbeen a desire to protect residential uses from changing to other uses. TheCity Council considers that Westminster has one of the fastest growingpopulations and it is important that the Council protects the existing housingstock and provides new residential units for a growing population. SecondlyWestminster is home to a great many buildings of historic and special interestwhich the Council has sought to preserve by designating conservation areas.


13

As a result the distinctive character of the City’s localities and communitieshave been preserved. The Council takes a firm stand on protecting itsremarkable historic heritage in its application and framing of planning policies.

1.18 As well as protecting residential uses, the two forerunners to the replacementUDP placed on deposit in October 2001 (Westminster District Plan 1982 andthe City of Westminster Unitary Development Plan 1997) sought to encouragethe various economic roles which make Westminster a World City. Thedesignation of a Central Activities Zone allows for the development of mixedland uses and regulation of functions such as the seat of Government andhead quarters of business; as a tourist centre of world importance and as aninternational centre for retailing, culture and entertainment.

1.19 In producing the replacement UDP we have to take into account national andregional planning policies. These are set out in the form of Planning PolicyGuidance notes and Circulars issued by Central Government. Likewise, theCouncil has to adhere to planning policies, set in a regional context, providedby the Government Office for London and from The Mayor/ Greater LondonAuthority through the London Plan (the Mayor’s Spatial DevelopmentStrategy). The UDP also has a key role in delivering the Council’s owncorporate objectives such as Civic Renewal and Westminster’s City Plan.

1.20 The planning strategy of the UDP is guided by the six planning aims listedbelow. They are not in order of importance but are interlinked and no one aimshould be considered in isolation.

1. Enhancing the attraction of central London2. Fostering economic vitality and diversity3. Building sustainable communities4. Integrating land use and transport policies and reducing the

environmental impact of transport5. Ensuring a high quality environment6. Working towards a more sustainable City.

1.21 These strategic planning aims, which are of importance to the whole ofWestminster, are set out in Part 1 of the Plan. The more detailed localpolicies, which form the basis for deciding planning applications, are set outon a topic basis in Part 2 of The Plan. This analysis is concerned primarilywith the policies in Part 2.

For information about the Unitary Development Plan and DevelopmentPlanning in Westminster, please contact Gillian Dawson on 020 76412457 or [email protected] or visit our web site atwww.westminster.gov.uk/udp. For more information about the numberand type of planning applications, contact Peter Hollis on 020 7641 3345or [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]://www.westminster.gov.uk/udpmailto:[email protected]


14


15

CHAPTER 2: COMMERCE

Background

2.1 Westminster is both a place where people live and the heart of a ‘world class’and capital city. These functions are reflected in the distinctive pattern of landuses in Westminster, with the City’s central area having a diverse mix ofgenerally non-residential uses, whilst the areas to the south and north arepredominantly residential. Even within the central area of Westminster thereare, however, substantial numbers of houses and flats.

2.2 The Unitary Development Plan defines the City’s central area as the CentralActivities Zone (CAZ) and the Central Activities Zone Frontages and aims toencourage commercial and Central London activities there. The plan alsoprovides for concentrations of specialist activities in some Special PolicyAreas. The extent of these areas is shown on the Proposals Map which formspart of the UDP. The City Council’s approach is supported in the draft LondonPlan, published by the Greater London Authority in 2002.

2.3 Offices dominate commercial activity in Westminster with a stock of 9 millionsq m of floorspace. Whilst the City Council aims to encourage commercialactivity, it also seeks to protect the many other activities which operate in theCity and which are important to its life and character.

Unitary Development Plan Policy

2.4 Our strategy for economic activities is to maintain the economic vitality anddiversity of Westminster’s economy. The main elements of this approach are:

� to protect housing from the pressures of commercial activity� to encourage economic activity in appropriate places� to protect and encourage Central London activities within the CAZ� to sustain and enhance the variety and mix of uses in the Central

Activities Zone and Central Activities Zone Frontages� to protect the character and function of defined specialist areas.

Analysis of trends 1997-2001

2.5 UDP policies encourage economic activity, and permission was granted forsome 1.4 million sq m of new or additional office floorspace between 1997and 2001. Fig 2.1 below summarises the floorspace permitted between 1997and 2001. The total net addition to the office floorspace was 515,900 sq m,with the largest increase occurring in 2000, mainly resulting from new officedevelopment permitted in the Paddington Special Policy Area (PSPA).


16

Table 2.1: Office floorspace permitted, by year, 1997-2001Units in sq m

Year Existing Proposed Net increase

1997 225,034 307,503 82,1991998 116,980 151,058 34,0781999 264,756 293,927 29,1712000 141,776 433,386 292,2102001 126,451 204,732 78,281

Total 874,667 1,390,606 515,939

2.6 Overall, much of the new office floorspace was permitted in the PSPA. Mostof the growth was accounted for by eight very large schemes, with a total ofover 350,000 sq m of new office floorspace. The remaining additionalfloorspace was mainly directed to the Central Activities Zone (CAZ), where413 office schemes were permitted, providing over 135,000 sq m additionaloffice floorspace. Policies have been successful in directing 96% of new officedevelopment to the CAZ and PSPA, and restricting office growth outsidethese areas.

2.7 Outside the CAZ and PSPA, there was a net loss of office floorspace of over100,000 sq m, which reflects the restraint policies and the priority given tohousing in these areas.

Mixed Use Development

2.9 In larger office schemes (i.e. where the net additional floorspace is over 200sq m) the City Council’s planning policies require some housing to beprovided on site. Where this is not practical or appropriate, this may beprovided off site or other uses will be expected to be provided, contributing tothe mix of uses in the CAZ. Tables 2.2 and 2.3, below, show the amount ofmixed use provided in association with office led schemes, both with andwithout residential uses.

Table 2.2: Office floorspace permitted inside Central Activities Zone,with residential and associated uses, 1997-2001

Units in sq mYear Offices Residential Class A uses Other uses1997 46,760 25,569 [154] 2,661 2,1971998 3,516 1,809 [13] 0 1141999 11,328 8,179 [62] 711 02000 7,094 4,162 [54] 304 3742001 10,550 19,233 [122] 1,360 1,460Total 79,248 58,952 [405] 5,036 4,145

Note: Figures in brackets in the ‘Residential’ column are numbers of units, mainly flats,involved in these permissions.


17

Table 2.3: Office floorspace permitted inside Central Activities Zone,without residential uses but with other associated uses, 1997-2001

Units in sq mYear Offices Class A Uses Other uses

1998 8,995 3,117 1,9421999 5,968 6,833 1,1012000 6,044 964 -2962001 2,922 -357 0

Total 70,749 6,521 3,641

2.10 Figure 2.2 shows that almost 60,000 sq m of residential floorspace has beenpermitted in association with office-led schemes, 40% of the total floorspacepermitted. If all these schemes were implemented this would provide 405additional residential units. Overall, Tables 2.2 and 2.3 show that more than11,000 sq m of retail floorspace has been permitted in association with officeled schemes, and almost 8,000 sq m of other uses.

2.11 Not all the office schemes which have been permitted involve a mix of uses,as this is not always appropriate or practical. During the five years 1997 to2001, a total of 37,500 sq m of office floorspace (with 32,800 sq m in the firsttwo years of that period) was permitted without other uses being required.

2.12 The mixed use policies have been successful in encouraging mixed useschemes in the City. Some 42% of office schemes permitted have includedresidential and other uses, and 38% have included mixed use apart fromresidential. Only 20% of office schemes permitted have not involved a mix ofuses.

2.13 It can be concluded that the UDP’s mixed use policy approach has beenapplied flexibly, taking into account the individual circumstances of particularcases, and allowing for the provision of alternative uses within developmentschemes where the incorporation of residential accommodation has not beenappropriate or practical.

2.14 The replacement UDP also strengthened the mixed use approach to othercommercial uses, which will be monitored in future reports.

Relocation of Uses

2.15 UDP policies enable relocation of land uses or land use ‘swaps’ providedcertain criteria are met. The majority of land use swaps involve office andresidential uses. Table 2.4 below indicates the extent to which the policy hasbeen implemented.


18

Table 2.4: Net office and residential floorspace change in ‘swap’schemes, 1997-2001

Year Decisions No Net Office changesq mNet Residentialchange sq m

1997 5 -1,057 2,3641998 3 -288 4521999 4 -911 7982000 3 0 02001 3 -1,153 1,111

Total 18 -3,409 4,725

2.16 Between 1997 and 2001 eighteen proposals have been given planningpermission for ‘swap’ schemes, providing for an increase of some fortyresidential units, suggesting that the policy has been successful in promotingresidential uses. The average distance between swap sites was less than250 m: most such moves were within the Central Activities Zone.

Small Offices

2.17 Table 2.5, below, shows that between 1997 and 2001 there were 227planning permissions for small offices, defined as those with less than 250 sqm of floorspace, which would have resulted in a proposed total net increase of22,200 sq m to this type of office stock. Of these, 61% of decisions involvedland within the CAZ and CAZ Frontages, proposing a net increase of 12,000sq m of small office floorspace. In the North West Westminster Special PolicyArea there were 10 decisions proposing a net increase of 550 sq m offloorspace.

Table 2.5: Proposed small office floorspace, by location, 1997-2001

AreaDecisions

NoExisting

sq mProposed

sq mNet change

sq m

Within CAZ and frontages 139 1,253 13,205 11,952Outside CAZ and frontages 88 4,768 14,968 10,200 of which North West Westminster 10 392 936 544

Total 227 6,021 28,173 22,152

2.18 Between 1997 and 2001 the City Council gave more permissions for the lossof small office floorspace than for gain. In this period 297 permissions weregranted City-wide with a proposed loss of 34,500 sq m of small officefloorspace. Some 59% of these decisions were inside the CAZ and CAZFrontages, with a total proposed loss of 20,300 sq m. In the North-WestWestminster SPA there were 17 decisions reflecting a proposed loss of 2,300sq m.


19

Table 2.6: Proposed losses of small office floorspace, by location,1997-2001

Area Decisions No Existing sq m

Within CAZ and frontages 174 20,258Outside CAZ and frontages 123 14,387 of which North West Westminster 17 2,281

Total 297 34,452

2.19 If all the decisions were implemented this would represent an overall loss of12,400 sq m of small office floorspace in Westminster. Inside the CAZ/CAZFit would result in an overall loss of 8,300 sq m.

Diplomatic and allied uses

2.20 Embassies, High Commissions and other similar agencies of overseasgovernments are Central London activities which generally need to be locatedclose to the offices of the United Kingdom government and to other diplomaticestablishments. These uses are associated with particular parts ofWestminster, principally Mayfair, Belgravia and Portland Place. Policy COM 7in the replacement UDP provides for diplomatic uses in the Central ActivitiesZone and in the Portland Place SPA. The Land Use Survey at August 1996indicated that there were 139 diplomatic and allied uses occupying nearly321,000 sqm of floorspace. Of these, 84 were located inside the CAZ or onthe CAZ Frontages, including 28 in Belgravia and 27 in Mayfair, and twelve inthe Portland Place SPA.

2.21 Table 2.7 below provides information on permitted gains and losses ofdiplomatic uses, indicating that between 1997 and 2001 this would haveresulted in an overall gain of just over 8,000 sq m in floorspace in diplomaticuse.

Table 2.7: Proposed Change in Diplomatic Use Floorspace, 1997-2001Units in sq m

Year Net gains Net losses Overall change

1997 344 1,026 -6821998 8,843 708 8,1351999 0 0 02000 0 703 02001 1,440 0 1,440

Total 10,627 2,437 8,190


20

Institutional uses

2.22 Policy COM 6 in the replacement UDP provides for institutional uses in theCAZ and in the Portland Place Special Policy Area (PPSPA). The PortlandPlace SPA forms an area outside the CAZ where the headquarters ofprofessional, charitable, cultural and learned institutions, associations andfederations have long been established. In 1998 there were twenty-threeinstitutional uses and in 2001, twenty-one. Although there have been somegains and losses of institutional use in the Special Policy Area there has beenlittle overall change since 1998.

2.23 The Queen Anne Street Special Policy Area has been deleted from thereplacement UDP because of the negligible number of institutional uses thatnow remain within the area.

Industrial uses

2.24 Westminster is home to a number of industrial activities that form animportant part of the creative industries business sector, mainly located in andaround Soho, East Marylebone, Regent Street and Covent Garden. There arealso small-scale industrial premises in other parts of Westminster, particularlyin mews properties. Policies in the UDP aim to protect existing, andencourage new light industrial floorspace within the Creative IndustriesSpecial Policy Area, and aim to protect existing small-scale industrial useselsewhere in Westminster.

Table 2.7: Proposed Change in Light Industrial Floorspace, 1997-2001Units in sq m


1997 1,539 5,780 -4,2811998 144 2,103 -1,9591999 2,448 3,855 -1,4072000 11,163 4,681 6,4822001 473 6,287 -5,824

Total 15,767 22,716 6,949


21

Table 2.7: Proposed Change in Light Industrial Floorspace in theCreative Industries Special Policy Area, 1997-2001

Units in sq mYear Net gains Net losses Overall change

1997 539 1,709 -1,1701998 -564 938 -1,5021999 -22 80 -1022000 1,232 0 1,2322001 280 2.045 -1,765

Total 1,465 4,772 -3,307

2.25 According to the Land Use Survey, there were 690 light industrial uses inWestminster at August 1996, occupying some 161,200 sq m of floorspace. Ifall planning permissions granted between 1997 and 2001 involving lightindustrial uses had been implemented this would have resulted in an overallloss of nearly 7,000 sq m of light industrial floorspace. However, within theCreative Industries Special Policy Area in the replacement UDP the potentialoverall loss would have amounted to just over 3,300 sq m of light industrialfloorspace. Almost half of the light industrial floorspace was lost to residentialuse, with almost a third lost to office use: in many cases the loss of theseindustrial uses resulted in improved local amenity.

Table 2.8: Proposed Change in General Industrial Floorspace, 1997-2001Units in sq m


1997 29 3,166 -3,1371998 0 4,772 -4,7722000 904 7,100 -6,1962001 -3,554 5,328 -8,8822002 -10,000 1,088 -11,088

Total -12,161 21,454 -34,075

2.26 Two thirds of the loss of general industrial floorspace went to housing.

Wholesale Showrooms

2.27 Policy COM 12 in the replacement UDP seeks to protect wholesaleshowrooms, particularly in the East Marylebone Special Policy Area. The CityCouncil has carried out studies in 1996 and 2000, which examined thedistribution of wholesale showrooms in the West End and East Maryleboneareas.


22

2.28 The ‘Study of Wholesale Showrooms in the West End’, carried out byLlewelyn-Davies for the City Council in 1996, recognised a concentration ofshowrooms in the West End, particularly in East Marylebone. This highlightedthe particular importance of the wholesale showrooms in that locality, whichcontribute to the fashion industry of the West End and which were regardedas being of international as well as national importance.

2.29 The City Council updated this study in the ‘Study of Wholesale Showrooms inEast Marylebone, 2000’ which identified an active concentration of wholesaleshowrooms continuing in East Marylebone.

2.30 The City Council has also recognised in the replacement UDP, that the extentof wholesale showroom activity in Westminster has reduced in recent yearsand that the fashion industry is undergoing rapid change. The industry maybe subject to further structural adaptation which may result in reduceddemand for wholesale showroom premises. Changes affecting the EastMarylebone area will continue to be monitored.

2.31 Between 1997 and 2001 planning permission was proposals involving theloss of some 4,150 sq m of showroom floorspace. Permission was alsogranted for schemes involving an increase of 1,700 sq m of showroomfloorspace, so that there was an overall permitted loss of about 2,500 sq m.

For more information about these trends and to discuss our policies onWestminster’s Central Area and commerce, please contactGraham Hadley on 020 7641 2503.


23

CHAPTER 3: HOUSING

Background

3.1 According to the census carried out by the Office of National Statistics (ONS)in 2001, the City of Westminster has a resident population of 181,279. For thereasons given in Chapter 1 of this report, the City Council believes that thisfigure is an under-estimate, and should be closer to the mid-year estimate for2000 of 244,600, also published by the ONS. As indicated earlier in thisreport, the City Council is currently seeking an independent review of theCensus in the City.

Figure 3.1: Housing Tenure in Westminster, 2001

Source: ONS 2001 Census

3.2 Figure 3.1 shows the pattern of tenure for households according to the ONS2001 Census. The level of owner occupation has remained unchanged sincethe monitoring period 1992-1996 at 35%, with the proportion of privatelyrented and local authority housing decreasing. However, the proportion ofHousing Association homes has increased from 12% to 16%.

3.3 Some 4.6% of houses/flats are used as second homes (i.e. they are not usedas a main residence), and 6.5% of houses and flats are vacant. These figureshave dropped from 6% and 12% respectively compared with the 1991census.

Housing Association16%

Local Authority13%

Owner Occupied34%

Privately Rented30%

Other Rented7%


24

UDP Policy

3.4 Housing and the residential environment are given the highest priority in theUDP. The City Council is committed to protecting the existing stock ofhousing and the amenity of residents, and will seek new housing whereverpossible. The housing policies in the UDP have three broad aims:

� maintain the supply of housing;� widen housing opportunity and choice, by securing affordable housing,

family housing, hostel accommodation and special needs housing; and� create sustainable residential environments.

New Housing

Figure 3.2: New Homes Granted Planning Permission, 1997-2001

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Gross Units

Net Units

Adopted UDPTarget

Replacem entUDP Target

3.5 In the years 1997 to 2001 planning permission was granted for more than1,200 proposals in the City, involving a total of 10,358 new homes. A numberof these schemes were for the redevelopment of buildings already inresidential use. The net number of additional homes involved in theseproposals was therefore 8,091. This compares with 4,914 new homespermitted in the years 1992 to 1996.

Housing Targets

3.6 The adopted UDP contains a target for the amount of additional housingdevelopment in Westminster of 11,750 new homes in the fifteen years from1987 and 2001. The City Council has exceeded this target – between 12,000and 13,000 new homes were provided in this period. The replacement UDPcontains a target for a minimum net addition of 14,500 homes between 1992


25

and 2006 and a minimum net addition of 7,500 new homes between 2007and 2016.

3.7 To record the implementation of planning permissions we carry out an annualsurvey of residential developments, ‘Respipe’, which covers all schemesinvolving four or more units. Table 3.1 shows the minimum and maximumnumber of homes completed in the period 1997-2001 by size band

3.8 In order to estimate the number of homes completed in small schemes, thoseof up to four homes, two rates of implementation of planning permissions areused. The lower rate of 60% is based on the implementation rate of allpermissions of over four homes and is considered to represent the minimumrate of implementation for the schemes of four or less. The higher rate of 90%is based on the assumption that all of these small permissions will beimplemented, less an allowance for those that will expire. This is consideredto represent the maximum rate of implementation.

Table 3.1: Estimated Housing Completions, 1997-2001Units [dwellings]

Size of scheme TotalYear 0-4 [low] 0-4 [high] 5-9 10 or more Minimum Maximum1997 187 280 97 744 1,028 1,1211998 133 200 110 666 909 9761999 70 104 214 1,238 1,522 1,5562000 79 118 122 935 1,136 1,1752001 41 62 70 790 901 922

Total 510 764 613 4,373 5,496 5,750Note: For explanation of high and low figures under schemes of 0-4 units, see text above.

3.9 The City Council’s assessment is therefore that in the period from 1997 to2001, a net addition of between 5,496 and 5,750 homes has been completedin the City. The replacement UDP target of 14,500 homes in the period from1992 to 2006 expects an average of 4,833 homes every 5 years. The numberof homes completed in 1997-2001 therefore exceeds this average. However,in the ten-year period from 1992 to 2001, a total between 7,830 and 8,394homes has been completed. This represents between 54% and 58% of thetarget achieved in two-thirds of the fifteen-year period: the City is thereforecurrently falling short of the replacement UDP target.

Offices to Residential

3.10 The previous monitoring report drew attention to the scale of proposalsconsidered by the City Council involving the conversion of offices to housing,which had arisen very largely from the oversupply of office space at that time.Figure 3.4 shows how the trend has been carried forward from 1992-1996


26

when 1,121 homes were granted planning permission, with a peak in 1996 of572 homes.

Figure 3.3: Conversion of offices to housing, 1997--2001

3.11 A total of 263 conversion schemes, involving 1,213 homes have been grantedplanning permission over the period from 1997 to 2001. The number of unitsinvolved has fallen from 392 in 1997 to 71 in 2001. The distribution of these issplit fairly evenly inside and outside the Central Activities Zone (CAZ). Manyof these schemes have been in small developments of under five homes.Further analysis may be found in Information Note Number 20: TheConversion of Offices to Homes (June 2002).

Affordable Housing

3.12 The need for affordable housing in Westminster is very great. The 2001Housing Needs Survey found that 1,082 affordable homes are required totackle the backlog of housing need, and a further 2,211 units are required tomeet the housing need that arises each year. In addition, the rising cost ofhousing has priced many workers out of the Westminster and Central Londonmarket. Rises in house prices have also made it very difficult for RegisteredSocial Landlords to compete in the land market in Westminster.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

SchemesUnits


27

3.13 Policy H4 in the replacement UDP requires the provision of affordablehousing in schemes with fifteen or more units, or on sites of 0.5 hectares orover. This reflects the guidance in DETR Circular 6/98 Planning andAffordable Housing. The City Council requires a proportion of 30% affordablehousing to be provided on site, of which 5% should be for key workers.

3.14 Regular reports to the City Council’s Development Overview and ScrutinyCommittee set out how much affordable housing has been achieved, andwhere financial contributions have been agreed, received and spent for off-site provision.

Figure 3.4: Permissions for affordable housing, 1997-2001

3.15 Since 1997, 644 affordable homes were granted planning permission as partof housing schemes through the implementation of the affordable housingpolicy. Provision of a further 214 affordable homes were agreed, but planningpermission was not issued as the legal agreements had not been completed.A total of 303 affordable homes were completed in the period 1997 to 2001,with a further 130 under construction at the end of 2001.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1997 1998 1999 2000 20010

50

100

150

200

250

300

Number of schemesOn Site Provision Units


28

Figure 3.5: Planning permissions, involving financial contributions foraffordable housing, 1997-2001

3.16 Where affordable housing has not been provided on site, the City Council hassought financial contributions in lieu to enable affordable housing to beprovided elsewhere. Between 1997 and 2001 the City Council has grantedplanning permission securing almost £21 million in contributions for affordablehousing.

Family Housing Areas

3.17 The replacement UDP defines six areas in Westminster (Pimlico, Belgravia,Knightsbridge, St. John’s Wood, Bayswater and Queen’s Park) where thereare significant numbers of single family houses. In these family housing areasthe conversion of family-sized housing into smaller houses or flats is notpermitted. Between 1997 and 2001 only two permissions were granted for theconversion from single family dwellings into flats in these areas. In theprevious monitoring period, from 1992 to 1996, no proposals for theconversion of houses into smaller houses or flats were permitted.

Residential Mix

3.18 The replacement UDP requires that 33% of new housing developments befamily sized (three or more bedrooms) of which 5% should have five or morehabitable rooms. This is an increase from the 25% requirement in the 1997adopted UDP. The number of children in the City is expected to increase andthe Council wants to encourage more families to stay and move intoWestminster by providing more family housing. Figure 3.6, below, shows theamount of housing permitted in the period 1997-2001, by the number ofbedrooms.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1997 1998 1999 2000 20010

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Number of schemes

Total contributions(received/agreed) £ 000


29

Figure 3.6: Housing permitted, by numbers of bedrooms, 1997-2001

Hostels

3.19 Between 1997 and 2001 planning permission was granted for nine newhostels, six of which were for temporary cold weather shelters. There were 20permissions granted for the loss of a hostel, and eight refusals for the loss ofhostels.

3.20 The City Council published a supplementary planning guidance (SPG) notefor special needs housing in 1999. This SPG note explains the issues whichwill be taken into account when planning applications for special needshousing are considered, including some types of hostels. The guidance givesproviders greater certainty about the type of development that we will accept,and gives local people assurances that we will protect their area.

Protecting the Residential Environment

3.21 The City Council tries to ensure that new development does not reduce thequality and amenity of existing residential accommodation. Over the period1997 to 2001 some 70% of the planning applications which were refused bythe City Council were refused because of the loss of residential amenity andprivacy that would have resulted.

For more information about these trends and to discuss our policies onhousing, please contact Margaret Handovsky on 020 7641 1818 orAlice Leach on 020 7641 8073

1 Bedroom28%

2 Bedrooms40%

3+ Bedrooms32%


30


31

CHAPTER 4: TRANSPORT

Background

4.1 The road network in Westminster is 338 km in length and there are almost2,000 streets in the City. The results of the 2001 Census show that only43.5% of households in Westminster have access to a car. If correct, this isthe fourth lowest figure in the country. Every Underground line, except theEast London and the Waterloo and City Lines, passes through Westminster.Westminster also includes four National Rail Terminals at Charing Cross,Marylebone, Paddington and Victoria – which is also the busiest station onthe Underground network. Tube travel over London as a whole increased bysome 23% between 1997 and 2002 and this London-wide increase isreflected in Westminster. Numerous bus services operate within Westminsterand both the number of services, including night bus services, and patronageon them has grown in recent years. A number of new routes were introducedand existing routes enhanced in 2002/03 in preparation for congestioncharging. The number of bus trips in London as a whole increased by some16% between 1997 and 2002 and this London-wide increase is reflected inWestminster.

4.2 Since 1997 the Council’s approach to transportation matters has beenaffected by a number of major changes to national and London-wide policies.These include Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport issued in March2001, the White Paper ‘A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone’ in July1998, the GLA Act 1999, the Mayor’s Transport Strategy in July 2001 and thedraft London Plan which was published in June 2002.

UDP Policy

4.3 Our overall transport strategy is to reduce the need to travel and to reduce theenvironmental impact of transport. The UDP has the following aims fortransport:

� to reduce the need to travel by integrating land use and transport policies� to improve environmental quality and safety for pedestrians and cyclists� to improve public transport facilities� to protect and improve environmental quality� to reduce traffic levels� to improve road safety� to reduce the impact of servicing, delivery and collection vehicles� to control on and off street parking to reduce the overall level of parking,

whilst maintaining availability for essential and priority users.


32

Analysis of trends 1997 – 2001

Air Quality

4.4 Air quality in Westminster continues to be an issue of concern, mainly due toemissions from road vehicles. Chapter 9 of this monitoring report,‘Environment and River Thames’, provides further information on air qualitymonitoring. Air quality trends are difficult to identify over such a short period:however, one obvious trend is that the level of airborne lead in central Londonhas continued to fall because of the reduction of lead in fuel.

Accidents

4.5 In 1997 there were 2,495 personal injury accidents on Westminster’s streets,which led to 2,784 casualties, including 16 fatalities. In 2001 there were 2,402accidents down 4%, with the number of casualties at 2,737 and the number offatalities at 15. There has been a generally continuing downward trend since1989 when there were 3,127 accidents, 3,521 casualties and 19 fatalities inthe City. The City Council has implemented some sixty accident remedialschemes between 1997 and 2001, not including numerous other schemeswith a safety element, such as traffic calming schemes and schemes toimprove conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.

Figure 4.1: Road Casualties and Accidents in Westminster 1997-2001

Source: Transport for London: London Accident Analysis Unit

Commuting

4.6 The total number of commuters into Central London in the morning peakperiod, from 7.00am to 10.00am, was estimated to be 1,094,000 in 2001,compared with 1,035,000 in 1997. The general trend for overall numbers has

0

5 0 0

1 0 0 0

1 5 0 0

2 0 0 0

2 5 0 0

3 0 0 0

3 5 0 0

1 9 9 7 1 9 9 8 1 9 9 9 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1

A c c id e n ts

C a s u a lt ie s


33

been upward, the total figures for the previous monitoring period was 992,000in 1992.

4.7 The number of people entering Central London by private car dropped from142,000 in 1997 to 122,000 in 2001. This continues a downward trend thatbegan in 1982 when 197,000 entered by car. In 2001 86% used publictransport for the journey to work, the majority using the train (43%) and theunderground/light railway (35%). The remainder use private car, motor cycleand pedal cycle. Numbers of motor cyclists increased by 4,000 and pedalcyclists by 2,000 between 1997 and 2001.

Figure 4.2: Modal Choice of Commuters into London in 2000. (‘000)

4.8 The City Council welcomes the continuation in the shift from private car topublic transport. It needs to be borne in mind, however, that the decision totransfer a car journey to public transport is also affected by government andMayoral policies over which we have little or no control. These include thecost of fuel, fare levels and the level of investment in rail and undergroundinfrastructure. Congestion charging, introduced in February 2003 by theMayor, is also likely to influence the patterns of movement. The impacts ofcongestion charging will be closely monitored by Transport for London, theCity Council and others.

4.9 The Jubilee Line Extension from Green Park to Stratford was opened in threephases during 1999. The extended Jubilee Line was joined to the existing lineon 20 November 1999 coinciding with the opening of Southwark station, withWestminster station the last to be opened on 22 December 1999. This hasincreased accessibility to Central London and Westminster in particular.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Rail Tube Bus Coach Car M'Cycle Cycle

Com

mut

ers

['000

]

Source: Transport for London


34

Traffic Management

4.10 In terms of traffic levels an estimated total of 1,585,000 motor vehiclescrossed a central London cordon line. In 2001 this figure had dropped to1,512,000. Between the beginning of 1997 and the middle of 2002, eleventraffic calming schemes have been introduced throughout the City. Othermeasures have also been introduced to control traffic and improve conditionsfor buses, pedestrians and cyclists, including the implementation of:

� Westminster’s sections of the London Bus Priority Network;� London Bus Initiative schemes;� numerous measures to make it safer and/or easier for pedestrians to

cross busy roads including measures to improve conditions for peoplewith disabilities, such as tactile paving;

� Westminster’s sections of the London Cycle Network; � safe routes to schools; and� many cycle parking stands.

Parking

4.11 In April 1996 there were 9,847 on-street parking bays available for the use ofvisitors to Westminster, down from 10,286 in 1992. By April 2002 there hadbeen relatively little change, with 9,528 bays provided. However, the numberof spaces available for the use of residents grew over the same period, from26,242 to 31,738, albeit that this included new spaces in areas ofWestminster that were not previously subject to parking control. The whole ofthe City of Westminster is now covered by controls which apply, as aminimum, from Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 6.30pm.Nevertheless, this growth has kept pace with the growth in the number ofresidents’ parking permits on issue which, over the same period, grew from33,345 to 40,019. The number of bays available per 100 permits has reducedvery slightly from 80.4 to 79.3.

4.12 A key change from the Adopted UDP is that the City Council now hasmaximum residential parking standards instead of minimum. It recognises,however, that to allow developments with no parking could create furtherproblems on-street as some residents of such developments would inevitablywant to own cars. The UDP therefore includes provision for measures tomitigate such an effect.


35

Figure 4.3: Provision of Respark Permits and Parking Bays, 1997 – 2001

4.13 It is likely to become increasingly difficult to meet the expectation of residentsthat they should be able to park a vehicle near their homes. With carownership at 43.5%, which in 2001 equated to about 54 cars per 100households, the increased number of households between 1997 and 2001 ofan estimated 5,600 would mean that some 3,000 vehicles had to beaccommodated somewhere.

Parking for disabled people

4.14 The European disabled persons’ blue badge scheme does not operate inWestminster. However, we issue our own “white” badges allowingconcessionary parking for people with disabilities who live or work in the City.This allows free parking on a residents’ or metered parking bay. At the end of2001 some 4,000 of these white badges were on issue. Since 1997 about 80additional blue badge bays have been introduced, which are available for theuse of disabled visitors to Westminster who do not qualify for a white badge.There are now some 280 such bays in Westminster.

4.15 Since 1993, we have also provided about 170 personal parking bays at thehomes of the most severely disabled residents, with some 70 added between1997 and 2001.

For more information about these trends and to discuss our policies ontransport and parking, please contact Sean Dwyer on 020 7641 3326. Forinformation on highways planning issues, please contactRichard Sapstead on 020 7641 2625.

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

No.

Bay

s/Pe

rmits Permits

Bays


36


37

CHAPTER 5: NORTH WEST WESTMINSTER

Background

5.1 A new chapter has been introduced into the replacement UnitaryDevelopment Plan, dealing specifically with the north-west part of the City.This contains policies for two designated areas, the Paddington SpecialPolicy Area and the North West Westminster Special Policy Area, whoseboundaries are shown on the replacement UDP Proposals Map.

Paddington Special Policy Area

5.2 The Paddington Special Policy Area (PSPA) was first designated in 1988, andis therefore also in the adopted UDP. It covers a total of 30 hectares andcontains some of the largest development sites in Central London as well asa strategic, international public transport interchange. The development sitesprovide opportunities for major commercial developments and improvedpublic transport which will contribute to London’s World City role, and a majoropportunity to create a vibrant new district of the City by providing sites forhousing, shops, leisure and community uses.

5.3 The policies for the Paddington Special Policy Area aim to:

� encourage the development and redevelopment of the area to create amixed use, new district with a character of its own and a high qualityenvironment

� ensure that the amenity impacts of the developments on the surroundingarea are minimised and that the regeneration benefits which accrue – bymeans of employment, for example - reach those who need them most.

5.4 Since 1991, planning permission has been granted for a number of majorproposals in the PSPA. The main schemes provide for:

� over 200,000 sq m of new, purpose built, large office accommodation

� about 18,000 sq m of shops and restaurants

� nearly 20,000 sq m of new hotel accommodation including an extension tothe Metropole Hotel making it the largest hotel of its kind in Europe, withover 1,000 bedrooms and large-scale conference facilities, and

� over 100,000 sq m of housing, comprising over 1,300 residential units.

5.5 Various revisions of planning permissions, current applications and furtherproposals under discussion are likely to result in as much additional office


38

accommodation again, together with over 70,000 sq m of new hospital andassociated health uses, new housing to include units designated for keyworkers, and major new transport interchange facilities at Paddington Station.Additional supporting uses, such as retail and leisure, will also beincorporated into future schemes. Some schemes, including the MetropoleHilton hotel extension, have already been completed. Others are currentlyunder construction or are due to be completed from early 2003 onwards.Further details are given in the Paddington Special Policy Area factsheet, themost recent edition was issued by the City Council in May 2003.

North West Westminster Special Policy Area

5.6 The North West Westminster Special Policy Area is a new special policy areaintroduced into the second deposit version of the replacement UDP inJanuary 2002, at the end of the period reviewed in this report. It was added inresponse to growing concern about the effect which some of the policies inthe adopted UDP were having in several wards in the north west of the City,in particular the effect of policies giving priority to housing developmentoutside the Central Activities Zone. These policies, together with the effects ofa very buoyant housing market, have combined to encourage and acceleratethe loss of employment uses.

5.7 The new SPA was drawn up following the North West Westminster PlanningStudy commissioned by the City Council from W.S.Atkins PlanningConsultants and published in October 2000. The consultants carried outextensive consultation in the area, considered the impact of current planningpolicies and suggested possible changes. The consultation highlighted localconcern about several issues. These were the need for a more flexibleapproach to changes of use of shop premises to create businessopportunities, and towards mixed use developments. The need to improvethe environment was also identified as a matter of particular priority.

5.8 The policies for the North West Westminster Special Policy Area aim to:

� retain existing and encourage new small scale business development inorder to retain employment opportunities and also to encourage newemployment uses for certain vacant and marginal shop-type premises

� encourage mixed use development on sites larger than 0.25 hectare toprovide a range of uses to meet the needs of the area and not just newhousing

� bring forward an enhancement strategy for a key, defined stretch ofHarrow Road to help underpin the regeneration of the whole SPA. Thiscovers the main shopping centre for the area and is therefore used bymost local residents.


39

New areas for monitoring

5.9 Future monitoring reports will examine how the mix of uses within the specialpolicy areas has changed, and will consider the economic developmenttrends in the area generally. In the case of the North West Westminster SPA,monitoring will take into account the economic baseline material in the reportby W.S.Atkins in October 2000.

For more information about these trends and to discuss our policies onthe Paddington and North West Westminster Special Policy Areasplease contact Alice Leach on 020 7641 8073.


40


41

CHAPTER 6: SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES

Background

6.1 One of the aims of the UDP involves building sustainable communities, andmaintaining and encouraging a full range of accessible local services to thosecommunities. While facilities providing local services are important to meetthe needs of local residents, because of Westminster’s particularcircumstances they are also important for people with jobs nearby and byvisitors. Social and community facilities encompass a wide range of usesincluding social service, education, health and some leisure and recreationuses, libraries, places of worship, community meeting places, public toiletsand facilities for utilities.

6.2 It is important that social and community uses are within easy reach of thepeople who need them. This means they need to be distributed throughoutthe City, close to where people live and work. They need to be easy to reachby people who have problems getting around due to age or disability.

6.3 Restructuring of organisations and changes in Government policy andlegislation will also affect the demand for land for facilities. For example,National Health Service and local authority reforms promote the developmentof one-stop primary care centres to bring together primary and communityservices. This will lead to a demand for larger premises to accommodateprimary care and community services.

6.4 Another factor in changes in patterns of social and community facilityprovision are population trends. In Westminster the numbers of 5-19 year oldsis expected to rise, which will place additional demands on Council services,for example on education and youth-based services.

6.5 Poverty is another factor that affects the need for community services. TheWestminster Local Area Study (March 2002) notes that Westminster is widelyperceived to be a wealthy city but it is more accurate to describe it as a city inwhich there is both great wealth and great poverty. The areas of greatestdisadvantage are in the north-west and the southern parts of the City, whileareas to the north-east and west are more prosperous. However, most wardsin the City have pockets of disadvantage.

6.6 The requirement for social and community facilities is more than an issue oftheir geographical distribution. For example, the Westminster Local AreaStudy identified groups in particular need, who suffer from considerabledisadvantage, and for whom there is the particular challenge of ‘joining up’public services in education, health, housing, policing and employment. Thegroups include:


42

Families: families who have a range of social and health needs, includinghomeless families, where there is the risk of the family environment impingingon the well-being of children, and their educational performance.

Children and young people: including young people at risk, looked afterchildren, children in need and care leavers; children who are at risk of socialexclusion and those who are involved in, or in danger of becoming involved inanti-social activities, drug abuse, etc, and are at risk of exclusion from school:teenage girls in danger of becoming pregnant.

Older people: older people on a limited income who often have health needs,and who want to continue to live in their homes.

Recent arrivals: typically those whom the City Council has accepted ashomeless who have arrived in the United Kingdom from overseas, and have amix of employment, educational, housing and social needs, reinforced by theirrelative cultural isolation from the existing community.

The ‘street community’: those who are sleeping rough, or in danger of doingso; those living in hostels; and those who spend their days on the streets ofthe City, perhaps begging or drinking.

6.7 The Westminster Local Area Study assisted the development of theWestminster Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, published in September2002, which sets out priorities, actions and targets to improve well-being forWestminster’s more deprived communities and areas.

UDP Policy

6.8 The City Council aims to protect and encourage a range of communityfacilities which will meet the needs of residents, workers and visitors, in orderto build and maintain sustainable communities in Westminster. This isachieved by:

� ensuring that existing facilities are protected from redevelopment orchange of use

� providing in the Plan for additional facilities where appropriate

Implementing policy

6.9 Figures 6.1 and 6.2 show the results of our planning decisions in relation tosocial and community facilities overall. They show the amount of floorspace insocial and community use ‘gained’ and ‘lost’ in Westminster between 1997


43

and 2001. The figures also show the number of planning applications whichhave been approved or refused.

Figure 6.1: Increase in social and community facilities, 1997-2001

6.10 Figure 6.1 shows that between 1997 and 2001 we gave planning permissionfor 279 developments proposing an increase of 143,300 sq. m of floorspacefor social and community uses. In addition, 26 applications were refused,turning down a possible increase of 11,500 sq. m of social and communityfloorspace. Overall, 91% of all applications proposing an increase in socialand community uses were approved. This compares to an overall increase of127,700 sq. m of social and community floorspace from between 1992 and1996, when again 91% of applications were approved.

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

160000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Totals0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

ApprovedfloorspaceRefusedfloorspaceApproveddecisionsRefuseddecisions


44

Figure 6.2: Loss of social and community facilities, 1997-2001

6.11 Figure 6.2 shows that over the period 197 to 2001, we approved 125applications which proposed a loss of 149,000 sq m of social and communityfloorspace. Overall, therefore, there was a net loss of 5,800 sq m of socialand community floorspace between 1997-2001. For the previous monitoringperiod 1992-1996 there was a net gain of 44,000 sq m.

6.12 The City Council refused fourteen applications for planning permission whichinvolved a loss of social and community facilities, protecting 7,700 sq m offloorspace.

6.13 The overall loss of social and community floorspace between 1997-2001 maybe accounted for through the rationalisation of hospital facilities, for example,over 25,000 sq m was lost in the redevelopment of the Westminster Hospitalon Horseferry Road in 1998. Some local replacement social and communityfacilities were provided in the redevelopment scheme in line with SOC 1,including a nursery.

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

160000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Approvedfloorspace lossRefusedfloorspace lossApproveddecisionsRefuseddecisions


45

Childcare facilitiesFigure 6.3: Increase in nursery facilities, 1997-2001

6.14 Figure 6.3 shows that there were fifteen applications for additional floorspacein creches and day nurseries granted planning permission between 1997 and2001. Only one application was permitted during this period that allowed aloss of nursery facilities. Overall there was a net increase of approximately2,000 sq m. floorspace in day nursery and creche use.

Education

6.15 The UDP aims to protect educational uses. Education facilities in Westminsterrange from the local education authority primary, secondary and specialschools, to further, higher and adult education facilities, private educationfacilities and employment training facilities. These are covered by policiesSOC 1 and SOC 3. There are 41 primary schools and 8 secondary schools inthe City run by the City Council as local education authority. ManyWestminster children are educated within the private sector: theWestminster’s School Organisation Plan estimates that about 45% of localchildren attend private schools. There are also many further and highereducation institutions of local, national and international importance, includingthree universities and a teaching hospital.

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5



46

Figure 6.4: Increase in education facilities, 1997-2001

Figure 6.5: Loss of education facilities, 1997-2001

6.16 Figures 6.4 and 6.5 show the increases and losses in educational facilities asa result of planning permissions granted and refused between 1997-2001.Planning permission was granted for 92 applications for a total increase of65,000 sq m educational floorspace. A total of 24 applications were permittedwhich proposed a loss of floorspace in educational uses, a net loss of 30,900sq m. Overall, the net gain was for 34,100 sq m educational floorspace. Just

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total0

5

10

15

20

25


0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Approvedfloorspace lossRefusedfloorspace lossApproveddecisionsRefusedDecisions


47

over half of this was for further education facilities, and about a quarter forprimary and secondary education facilities.

Healthcare

6.17 The City Council aims to keep a high level of healthcare facilities inWestminster, particularly to meet the needs of the residents. Policies in thePlan protect existing healthcare facilities such as doctors’ surgeries andhospitals, and also encourage new provision.

6.18 Figures 6.6 and 6.7 show the increases and losses in medical facilities as aresult of planning permissions granted and refused between 1997 and 2001.

Figure 6.6: Increases in medical uses in Westminster, 1997-2001

6.19 Figure 6.6 shows that increases of medical floorspace totalling 24,900 sq m

were permitted between 1997 and 2001. However, over the same period

48,300 sq m of medical floorspace was lost to other uses resulting in an

overall loss of 23,400 sq m. The biggest loss of medical floorspace was at the

Westminster Hospital on Horseferry Road where over 25,000 sq m was lost

as part of its redevelopment. This occurred when the facilities were relocated

to the new Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in the Royal Borough of

Kensington and Chelsea. Some local replacement social and community

facilities were provided in the redevelopment scheme in line with SOC 1.

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Approvedfloorspace

Refusedfloorspace

Approveddecisions

Refused decisions


48

Figure 6.7: Losses of medical uses in Westminster, 1997-2001

Harley Street Special Policy Area

6.20 Many private medical facilities are available in and around Harley Street. Thearea is internationally famous for its concentration of medical uses, inparticular medical consulting rooms. Planning policies aim to protect andmaintain the special role and character of the area. The UDP designatesHarley Street and its surroundings as a Special Policy Area (SPA) to helpachieve these aims.

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Approvedfloorspace loss

Refusedfloorspace loss

Approveddecisions

Refuseddecisions


49

Figure 6.8: Increase in medical uses in the Harley Street SPA, 1997-2001

Figure 6.9: Losses of medical uses in the Harley Street SPA, 1997-2001

6.21 Figure 6.8 shows that between 1997 and 2001 we gave planning permissionfor an increase of 6,200 sq m of floorspace for medical uses in the Harley

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Totals0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7


0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total

Floo

rspa

ce s

q m

0

1

2

3

4

Dec

isio

ns

Approvedfloorspace lossRefusedfloorspace lossApproveddecisionsRefuseddecisions


50

Street Special Policy Area (SPA). This more than doubles that grantedbetween 1992 and 1996, when only 2,900 sq m of medical floorspace waspermitted. We also granted planning permission for the loss of 1,500 sq m ofmedical floorspace between 1997 and 2001, as shown in Figure 6.9. Medicalfloorspace was lost to housing in all cases in line with UDP policy. Overallthere has been a net gain of 4,700 sq m of medical floorspace between 1997-2001, thereby strengthening the role of the SPA in line with adopted andreplacement UDP policies.

For more information about these trends and to discuss our policies onsocial and community facilities please contact Collette Willis on020 7641 2387, or Gillian Dawson on 020 7641 2457.


51

CHAPTER 7: SHOPPING AND SERVICES

Background

7.1 Shops and other retail services in Westminster make a major contribution toLondon’s ‘World City’ status. They are, of course, a major attraction in theirown right, but they support the millions of visitors and workers who come tothe City, and the businesses and commercial sector located in the City. Thelargest concentrations of shopping floorspace are in Oxford Street andRegent Street. These streets also have major department stores which arethe ‘anchors’ of the West End International Centre. The West End andKnightsbridge (part of which lies within Westminster) are designated in theMayor’s draft London Plan, fully supported by the City Council, as the twoInternational Centres in London.

7.2 The Central Activities Zone (CAZ) contains many other shopping areas.These include the shopping and entertainment centre of Covent Garden;bookshops of Charing Cross Road; and the fashion shops of Carnaby Streetand South Molton Street. The significant presence of internationally renownedshops in Regent Street, Bond Street, Knightsbridge and Piccadilly indicatetheir specialised nature; whilst Oxford Street is dominated by internationaland national chain stores. The CAZ frontages also offer important shoppingfacilities. Edgware Road has a major convenience and comparison role forlocal residents, as well as having a high number of cafés and restaurants.Baker Street mainly serves visitors and workers.

7.3 Outside the CAZ there are seven centres identified as District Centres in theUDP and 39 identified as Local Centres, mainly serving local residents: someof these which are close to the CAZ are also well used by people workingnearby and by visitors. Throughout the City there are also many other smallshopping parades and individual shops that perform vital service functions.

General trends in shopping

7.4 Retailing in Westminster has undergone substantial change in the last tenyears, influenced by shifts in retailing which include

� new out-of town shopping centres, such as Bluewater, and to a lesserdegree, internet shopping, present a serious threat to West End shopping

� improvements at regional shopping centres mean that the West End ismore dependent on overseas visitors than ever before

� a massive expansion in the food and drink sector as new bars, coffeeshops and restaurants seek to meet demands linked to changinglifestyles. This trend and its effects been particularly pronounced in


52

Westminster. Coffee, sandwich and patisserie shops are now on moststreets, and are particularly common in Westminster due to the highnumbers of workers and visitors in the City seeking attractive daytimerefreshment breaks

� consolidation in the banking sector with mergers leaving many bank andbuilding society branches redundant

� the popularity of branded goods and supermarket shopping have leftmany small independent shops, whether selling comparison orconvenience goods, struggling to survive

� new retail uses that wish to locate in shopping centres have emerged: forexample internet cafés, fingernail parlours, and international telephonebureaux.

UDP Policy

7.5 The main aims of our shopping strategy are:

� to enhance the vitality, viability and diversity of Westminster’s shoppingcentres

� to maintain the number and range of shops in the City

� to maintain and enhance the role of central London as a shopping centreof international, national and regional importance

� to sustain an appropriate and accessible range of facilities which will meetthe needs of local residents and also serve workers and visitors.

The shopping hierarchy

7.6 In line with Planning Policy Guidance 6: Town Centres and RetailDevelopments, the Shopping and Services chapter of the UDP has a range ofpolicies that address the designated hierarchy of centres in the City:

� West End and Knightsbridge International Centres PrimaryShopping Frontages (Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street andKnightsbridge/Brompton Road) In these frontages, at the top of London’sshopping hierarchy, floorspace in Use Class A1 receives a very high levelof protection

� inside the CAZ and on the CAZ Frontages, where policy still affords ahigh level of protection to shops, though not as strong as in theInternational Centres Primary Shopping Frontages. Policy sets out the


53

circumstances in which a change of use (from any use) to a Class A2, A3or sui generis use may be permitted

� District Centres (Core Frontages and Secondary Frontages), whereshops are protected to meet the needs of local residents, workers andvisitors. A high level of protection is given in Core Frontages

� Local Centres (some of which have Core Frontages), where shops areprotected to meet the needs of local residents, workers and visitors. Ahigh level of protection is given in Core Frontages

� outside the CAZ, but not in a District or Local Centre, where policy givesa very high level of protection to Class A1 uses.

Analysis of trends 1997-2001

7.7 The number of applications and the proportion permitted gives an indicationof the pressure for change of use in the retail sector and how the City Councilhas applied UDP policy in responding to these pressures.

A1 Floorspace in the Prime Frontages

Figure 7.1 - Loss & Gain of A1 Floorspace in Prime Frontages 1997-2001

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

1997 1998 1999 2000 20010

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Approved loss of floorspaceApproved gain in floorspaceLoss decisionsGain decisions

Total Approved Loss = 2,272 sqmTotal Approved Gain = 10,967 sqm


54

Figure 7.2: Loss & Gain of A1 Floorspace in the CAZ (excluding Prime

Frontages), 1997 - 2001

7.8 There were only twelve applications involving the loss of A1 floorspace in thePrime Frontages in this period. Ten of these were approved, leading to a lossof 2,000 sq m of A1 floorspace. This compares with 54 approved applicationsinvolving an increase in A1 floorspace, providing 41,000 sq m of additional A1floorspace.

A1 Floorspace in the CAZ outside the Prime Frontages

7.9 There were 82 applications for loss of A1 floorspace elsewhere in the CAZand CAZ Frontages in this period, and 70 of thes

city of westminster unitary development plan monitoring report… · 2008. 1. 3. · ‘offpipe’,...

Documents