Westminster City Council is launching two bodies that will shape planning and placemaking in the borough.
The City Planning and Development Committee is being formed to sit above its existing four planning applications committees, each of which deals with different applications based upon their scale and complexity.
The committee will comprise 16 council members from the existing committees.
It will not make decisions on individual applications but will meet regularly to consider local plan policies and make recommendations to streamline the council’s planning process.
It will be led by Richard Beddoe and Daniel Astaire with Robert Davis, deputy leader, stepping down from his roles as cabinet minister for the built environment and chair of the planning committee.
Beddoe, the former deputy cabinet member for the built environment, has been appointed chair of planning. He will now head the planning application committees and will be jointly responsible for overseeing applications and meeting developers.
Astaire, the former cabinet member for housing, regeneration, business and economic development, will become cabinet member for planning and the public realm, and will take charge of the borough’s strategic planning policy
Davis, who started in his new role as cabinet member for business, culture and heritage this week, is to head a placemaking department to which the council will make a raft of new appointments, including a director of placemaking. Officers already focusing on the public realm will be brought under the umbrella of the department.
One of the key areas of focus of the committee will be Oxford Street, W1, where the council is working with Transport for London to reduce bus traffic by 40%.
Davis will also have a number of other responsibilities and will work closely with newly appointed council leader Nickie Aiken in a strategic capacity.
Davis said: “I held my previous role for 17 years. I needed a change and the council leader wanted me at her side. She hasn’t been at the council as long as I have and wanted my experience and support to give some strategy to the whole council.”
Davis remains chairman of the Oxford Street Steering Group – part of the West End Partnership – as well as managing works along Baker Street, Hanover Square, Bond Street, all W1, Queensway, W2, and other areas in Westminster.
He said: “One of the things I would love to achieve is a whole revolution in Queensway where not only is the public realm superb but there is wonderful retail and residential and an area that people want to go to which can compete with and be complementary to Westfield and the West End.
“I’d like to see change around Praed Street, [W2]. Whatever people think of the [Sellar Group’s] Paddington Cube it will be a revolution in public realm and infrastructure and we are starting to see a number of planning applications around there.
“Another area I am keen to look at is around Harrow Road [W2], which is crying out for something to bring it back into the 21st century.”
Davis will work closely with the borough’s business improvement districts, including the New West End Company and Heart of London.
His business portfolio includes responsibility for business support, SMEs, skills, training and apprenticeships, as well as leading on tourism and theatres.
He said his key challenge would be securing funding and emphasised the importance of the Tax Incremental Finance package, a proposal for the government to allow the West End Partnership to retain 6.5%, rather than the current 4% of local business rates, to reinvest into the West End.
“The West End is the engine of the economy. If we can get this approved, we know others will invest here,” Davis said.
He is also overseeing a project on the council’s doorstep with the refurbishment of Westminster City Hall.
Westminster City Council will move into Land Securities’ long-standing headquarters at 5 Strand, WC2, after the property company departs for its Nova scheme in Victoria, SW1.
The council is scheduled to take 57,000 sq ft at the BlackRock-owned office building near Trafalgar Square while its civic headquarters at 64 Victoria Street, SW1, undergoes internal improvements, such as the installation of double-decker lifts and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The council will return to its office following the refurbishment, which is expected to take 18 months.
Who is in charge of what at Westminster?
Robert Davis
Deputy leader and cabinet member for business heritage and culture; in charge of public realm, BIDs, SMEs, skills and apprenticeships, tourism and theatres
Richard Beddoe
Chair of planning, planning and application committees; jointly responsible for engagement with developers
Daniel Astaire
Cabinet member for planning policy; responsible for strategic planning policy
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