Draft Westminster City Management Plan published for consultation

The Plan (326-page / 10MB PDF) is the second Development Plan Document in Westminster's Local Development Framework and it will sit alongside the London Borough's core strategy. It sets  out development plan policy for Westminster and will form the basis on which all planning applications must be determined, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

The document is organised into seven distinct chapters that mirror Westminster’s Strategic Objectives, detailed in the Core Strategy. The Plan shows that the City aims to protect commercial space whilst balancing the need for residential accommodation.

The Plan provides that there must be an "increase in residential floorspace at least commensurate with increases in commercial floorspace in order to enhance the mixed character of different parts of the Central Activities Zone".

The Plan promotes sustainable development, specifying that all development schemes that take place in Westminster that are more than 1050 square foot must be built on a zero carbon basis, as part of a five year development plan.

To protect shopping in the London Borough, planning permission that is sought for a change of use from Class A1, which includes shops and retail, is limited. For International Shopping Centres, permission will not be granted for a change of use "except in the most exceptional circumstances".

The Plan promotes the provision of off-site affordable housing if it would lead to quantitative and qualitative improvement in housing to be provided in the Borough. If the location of the off-site housing to be provided is in a different land value zone to the proposed development, though, then a multiplier will be applied and the developer will have to make a payment in lieu.

Westminster intends to submit the Plan to the Secretary of State in spring 2012.