Intend to Adopt version March 2021 CONTENTS CITY PLAN 2019 – 2040 FOREWORD CONTENTS FOREWORD City Plan 2019–2040, first and foremost, is a plan for literally. Soft landscaping and streets lined with trees, people. It sets out to deliver an ambitious strategy to bring natural beauty and mitigate against the harmful make Westminster one of the best places to live, work effects of CO2. A stunning city encourages walking and play. Not just in London or the UK, but globally. and cycling, bringing further environmental benefits. Although this plan projects us forward to 2040, the With higher rents and changing patterns of how transformation starts now. Being a city where people want people shop, bold action will ensure London’s West to live is at the forefront of our agenda. Whilst a quarter End remains the jewel in our commercial crown. This of all homes in Westminster are social rented – a statistic strategy sets out a game-changing Central Activities of which we are very proud – we have a pressing need for Zone (CAZ) to deliver a world-class leisure experience. new, affordable homes. Regeneration of key areas such as We remain committed to investing £150 million to secure Victoria and Paddington, and the north west of the city, will the future of Oxford Street as a global destination, invigorate both our residential and business capabilities. with an unrivalled experience and visitor offer. It’s absolutely vital that development must never be As we set out to create our city of the future, there is one at the expense of our heritage. Our new approach to question that should be at the forefront of our minds in every managing development will make sure planning for development we undertake: Will this be an asset to people’s Westminster is about conservation not just preservation, lives? If we can answer this positively every time, the and building tomorrow’s heritage today. Our iconic Westminster of 2040 is one we will all want to be a part of. landmarks and outstanding heritage form a stunning backdrop where people build lives, forge careers, and make memories. We have identified ‘specialist clusters’ to be protected; places whose character adds significantly to London’s global appeal, such as Soho, Mayfair, Harley Street and Savile Row. Councillor Matthew Green Sustainability must drive everything we do. This Cabinet Member for Business, Licensing and Planning strategy defines what we need to achieve and how Westminster City Council innovative planning and design will achieve it. Greener living must inform the choices we make – sometimes 3 CITY PLAN 2019 – 2040 HOW TO USE THIS PLAN CONTENTS CONTENTS HOW TO USE THIS PLAN This is the City Plan for Westminster to 2040. Step 3: Some policies in the Plan deal with Along with the Mayor of London’s London Plan and different types of use. This helps to determine any neighbourhood plans which may be made in whether a use or change of use of a building is future, it is the statutory development plan setting appropriate or not. The contents pages and out our vision and strategy for the development of specific topic-based chapters should also help the city, and contains policies that will be used in you identify the relevant policies. determining planning applications.1 Step 4: Other policies set out requirements for If you are submitting, assessing or commenting the form that the development should take and on applications, or want to find out more about the any measures needed to mitigate its impacts. policies for your area: The City Plan should be read as a whole to Step 1: Start with the vision and spatial strategy. understand if a development will be acceptable. They show the main areas for growth and Policies are not cross-referenced throughout the change in the city. Plan, however there are many interrelated issues across the chapters which should be considered Step 2: Consult the ‘policies map’ that goes in tandem. with this plan. It shows where the policies apply. You can use this to find the policies that relate to Appendix 2 identifies our strategic policies and your site or area of interest. will be particularly helpful to anyone involved in creating, or commenting on, neighbourhood plans. 1 Under section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 planning decisions should be taken in accordance with the statutory development plan unless material planning considerations indicate otherwise. 4 CONTENTS CITY PLAN 2019 – 2040 CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTEXT 8 Housing Policies 54 8. Housing delivery 56 OUR APPROACH FOR WESTMINSTER 22 9. Affordable housing 59 OBJECTIVES 24 10. Housing for specific groups 62 11. Innovative housing delivery 65 Spatial Strategy Policies 28 12. Housing quality 67 1. Westminster’s spatial strategy 30 2. Spatial Development Priorities: Economy and Employment Policies 70 West End Retail and Leisure Special Policy Area 13. Supporting economic growth 72 and Tottenham Court Road Opportunity Area 34 14. Town centres, high streets and the CAZ 75 3. Spatial Development Priorities: Paddington Opportunity Area 38 15. Visitor Economy 82 4. Spatial Development Priorities: 16. Food, drink and entertainment 86 Victoria Opportunity Area 41 17. Community infrastructure and facilities 89 5. Spatial Development Priorities: 18. Education and skills 91 North West Economic Development Area 44 19. Digital infrastructure, information 6. Spatial Development Priorities: and communications technology 92 Church Street / Edgware Road and Ebury Bridge Estate Housing Renewal Areas 47 20. Soho Special Policy Area 93 7. Managing development for Westminster’s people 51 21. Mayfair and St. James’s Special Policy Areas 97 22. Harley Street Special Policy Area 99 23. Savile Row Special Policy Area 99 6 CITY PLAN 2019 – 2040 CONTENTS CONTENTS Connections Policies 102 Design and Heritage Policies 144 24. Sustainable transport 104 38. Design principles 146 25. Walking and cycling 106 39. Westminster’s heritage 148 26. Public transport and infrastructure 109 40. Townscape and architecture 155 27. Parking 112 41. Building height 160 28. Highway access and management 115 42. Building height in the housing renewal areas 162 29. Freight and servicing 116 43. Public realm 164 30. Technological innovation in transport 119 44. Security measures in the public realm 168 31. Waterways and waterbodies 120 45. Basement developments 169 Environment Policies 124 32. Air quality 126 IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING 172 33. Local environmental impacts 128 APPENDIX 1: WESTMINSTER’S HOUSING TRAJECTORY 181 34. Green infrastructure 130 35. Flood risk 134 APPENDIX 2: SCHEDULE OF STRATEGIC POLICIES 186 36. Energy 137 APPENDIX 3: SCHEDULE OF SUPERSEDED POLICIES 190 37. Waste management 141 GLOSSARY 206 7 CITY PLAN 2019 – 2040 CONTEXT CONTENTS CONTENTS 43AD 50AD 460 600 First London road network Founding of London The Roman army The Saxons CONTEXT Roads built in the first phase of Roman (Londinium) leaves Britain create a new occupation (43–68 AD) connected London The Roman Governor and London is town at Covent with the ports used in the invasion, and with of Britain (Ostorius abandoned Garden Westminster Timeline the earlier legionary bases at Colchester, Scapula) gives orders Lincoln, Wroxeter, Gloucester and Exeter. to build a permanent As Roman influence expanded, so did the base on the North network, until around 180 AD when the Bank of the Thames. known network was complete. 1928 1903 1876 1865 1863 1862 1928 Thames flood Westminster Parliament is Bazalgette’s sewer The first London The new The 1928 Thames flood was a Cathedral is reconstructed system opened, leading Underground line Westminster disastrous flood of the River completed to the construction of opens between Bridge is opened Thames that affected much of Victoria Embankment Paddington and riverside London on 7 January Farringdon 1928. As a result 14 people died and thousands were made homeless. 1940 1947 1956 1965 Blitz Town and Country Planning Act Clean Air Act Westminster’s current boundary During the Blitz two million The Town and Country Planning Act The borough as we know it today was created with the houses (60% of these in 1947 came into effect on 1 July 1948, 1965 establishment of Greater London. Upon its creation, London) were destroyed which was the foundation of modern it inherited the city status previously held by the smaller resulting in redevelopment town and country planning in the UK. Metropolitan Borough of Westminster from 1900, which and the emergence of was first awarded to Westminster in 1540. council estates being built. 8 CITY PLAN 2019 – 2040 CONTEXT CONTENTS 960 1666 1735 1746 1814 1825 1828 Westminster Great Fire of London First Prime Minister First detailed map Lord’s Cricket Regent Street London Zoo Abbey first The Great Fire of 1666 in 10 Downing Street of London Ground opens layout complete opens to the founded destroyed four-fifths of the John Rocque created the public City of London and more first detailed map of London. than 13,000 medieval, His 1746 map includes every Tudor and early-17th named court and alleyway. century buildings were lost. It shows a much smaller city, with areas like Bloomsbury and Marylebone largely undeveloped. 1860 1851 1839 1838 1837 1834 Victoria Royal Parks Trafalgar Square construction Paddington Buckingham Parliament is station opens become public Trafalgar Square’s name Station opens Palace completed destroyed Victoria station opened Royal Parks become commemorates the Battle of due to fire by Victoria Station public parks with the Trafalgar, a British naval