Affordable housing and retrofitting to fight climate change – Westminster Labour consults on changes to the City Plan

Two of the main priorities of the new Labour administration at Westminster Council are to provide more affordable housing and to fight climate change. To do this, we are looking at making two key changes to the City Plan and have begun a consultation to get views from residents, businesses and other stakeholders.

Firstly, we are consulting on strengthening the existing affordable housing policies so that they maximise provision for those in most need. We are looking at increasing the proportion of affordable housing that will be available at social rents and also whether to reduce the threshold at which small developments are required to include affordable housing.

The second consultation is on introducing a new “retro-fit” first policy which would prioritise the retrofit and refurbishment of existing buildings over unnecessary demolition and redevelopment, reducing the impact of development on climate change.

Councillor Geoff Barraclough, cabinet member for planning and economic development said,

“The new and revised policies will together contribute to our vision for making Westminster a fairer and more inclusive city, where residents benefit from the opportunities new developments bring, and workers and visitors from all backgrounds feel welcome and safe.”