In a recently published letter to the Chief Executive of Westminster City Council, Leader-elect Cllr Paul Swaddle OBE has set out his administration’s approach to planning, with a focus on supporting a “City for All”.
The letter highlights three key policy areas in relation to commercial development:
- Restate the presumption in favour of sustainable development, recognising the role of high-quality commercial space in supporting economic growth.
- The Council’s retrofit-first approach should not become retrofit-only, with retrofit to be applied proportionately, taking account of viability and site constraints, alongside a shift from embodied carbon to whole-life assessment.
- Emphasise the importance of clearly communicating the benefits of development, including how Section 106 agreements, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Neighbourhood CIL (NCIL) are used to support infrastructure, services and local communities, alongside a broader programme of review and engagement to improve planning processes.
