Register now to attend our upcoming breakfast seminar exploring London Property Alliance’s latest paper - Retrofit First, Not Retrofit Only: Futureproofing national policy to support sustainable development.
Authored by Savills, the report reviews the national planning system’s ability to assess the complex issues raised by the choice between the retrofit and redevelopment of our commercial buildings and deliver sustainable development.
The seminar will feature a short presentation on the paper’s findings and recommendations along with an expert-led panel discussion on the wider challenges and benefits of retrofit and redevelopment, and an improved planning framework.
Date: Tuesday 5 March
Time: 8:00am – 10:00am
Location: Savills, Marcol House, 33 Margaret St, W1G 0JD
Two long standing public servants and current Members of Parliament Nickie Aiken MP and Karen Buck MP will not seek nomination at the next General Election.
Nickie was a former councillor and leader of Westminster City Council and was elected as the Conservative Party candidate for the Cities of London & Westminster in 2019; becoming the first woman to represent the City in Parliament.
Karen has been the Member of Parliament for Westminster North for 27 years. During her time as an MP, she has served as a former parliamentary under-secretary in the Department for Transport and was twice the shadow minister for work and pensions. Karen was also named Child Poverty Action Group’s “MP of the Year” in recognition of her work on behalf of young families living in poverty.
CllrNafsika Butler-Thalassis has been selected as the new Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council, replacing Cllr Tim Roca who will become Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Macclesfield. Additionally, Cllr Ryan Jude will now oversee Climate, Ecology, and Culture, becoming the youngest ever Cabinet Member in Westminster City Council’s history. Read more here.
Cllr Paul Swaddle OBE has been selected as the new leader of the City of Westminster Conservative Group, replacing Cllr Rachael Robathan. Read more here.
Policy and consultations
Westminster's Local Development Scheme updated
Westminster City Council has updated its Local Development scheme (LDS) which sets out the new planning documents the Council intends to produce over the next three years.
Westminster City Council and The Crown Estate have published the Regent Street Public Realm Vision Report, which will help inform the future design of Regent Street’s public realm. The project has been extended to include Piccadilly Circus and Haymarket.
Consultation to improve Westminster's street entertainment industry
Following a rise in complaints about buskers in the West End, Westminster City Council has put forward proposed changes for buskers and street entertainers. The consultation closes on 14 April.
Westminster City Council to introduce emissions-based charging
Vehicles will be charged based on their levels of CO2 emissions when driving into Westminster. The initiative aims to help the City Council reach its Net Zero City goal by 2040.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has authorised the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) to review the return of tax-free shopping for international visitors ahead of the spring Budget. London Property Alliance Chief Executive, Charles Begley said: “We have long called for a formal review of the economic impact of ending tax-free shopping and welcome reports that the OBR will report on this in the coming weeks.”
Read our recent submission of representations to the spring Budget 2024 here.
Sustainable City Charter update
Over 53 of Westminster’s leading businesses have now signed up to the Sustainable City Charter since its launch, and the Charter now represents over 28 million sq ft of commercial floorspace.
Signatories can attend an exclusive series of events, including our latest webinar on Better Buildings Partnership’s newly launched Green Lease Toolkit. This new initiative is designed to help landlords and occupiers work together to reduce carbon emissions from their buildings. Guests will hear from Kirsty Draper, WPA's Planning & Sustainability Group Vice Chair and Head of Sustainability for UK Agency, JLL and Siobhan Cross, Partner, Pinsent Masons.
Date: Tuesday 20 February
Time: 1.00pm – 2.00pm
For more information on how you can sign up to the Charter and attend our signatory events get in touch with alice.dale@cwpa.org.uk
"The charter is key in finding solutions to a common problem - the climate emergency - which we all have a responsibility to do our bit to resolve... Bringing that collective knowledge and experience together is powerful. Not one organisation can hold all of the keys on this."
To find out how you can get involved in the free Sustainable City Charter to deliver a cleaner and greener Westminster sign up here.
Events
Time is running out to secure your place at the WPA Annual Dinner, one of the most popular events in the property industry calendar, with very limited availability remaining.
Hosted at The Londoner Hotel, Leicester Square, our Annual Dinner is the perfect opportunity for WPA members to enjoy an exclusive evening of entertainment with industry peers, celebrating Westminster’s built environment.
There are limited tables of 10 and individual NextGen tickets remaining. Please note the ticket price now includes five bottles of wine per table of 10, with members able to purchase additional drinks on the night.
Our keynote speaker will be announced in due course.
Date: Thursday 18 April 2024
Time: 7.00pm-late
Venue: The Londoner, 50 Whitcomb Street, WC2H 7DY
Ticket Price: £350.00 per person (Includes champagne reception and half bottle of wine per person)
WPA’s charity partner Young Westminster Foundation (YWF) is hosting a seminar exploring the challenges faced by young people in Westminster and how local organisations can work together to address them. The event will build on the findings of YWF’s Our City, Our Future 2023/24 report and feature a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Last year WPA ChairMarcus Geddes announced a new WPA partnership with the YWF, which will see the Association contribute £255,000 to help fund its Mastering My Future employability scheme over the next three years. You can find out more about YWF’s transformative work here.
Information sought on pedicabs
TfL has asked for evidence on passenger safety incidents regarding pedicabs, ahead of its forthcoming consultation on regulating them. If you have any information on the number of safety-related pedicab incidents, specific cases of safety incidents related to pedicabs, or whether young or vulnerable people currently use pedicabs, please email Shimisa at shimisa.santhirasenan@tube.tfl.gov.uk
The issue of pedicabs has been led by Nickie Aiken MP and others who have campaigned to secure the Government’s commitment to the pedicabs licensing scheme. Read more here.
Member resources
Both WPA and CPA members have access to our comprehensive database of all major decisions from central London's major planning committees. These can be viewed on our Planning News page,compiled in partnership with Concilio.
For more details on all of the property news stories in the central London boroughs over the last seven days please visit the news section of the London Planning website.
Westminster Property Association, 10 Bloomsbury Way, Bloomsbury, London WC1A 2SL, United Kingdom
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