Planning Policy

Planning applications in Westminster must be determined in accordance with the Core Strategy, Unitary Development Plan (saved policies not replaced by the Core Strategy) and the London Plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

For the purposes of decision-taking, the policies in the Core Strategy, Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and London Plan should not be considered out-of-date simply because they were adopted before the publication of the NPPF. Policies in the NPPF are also material considerations.

Until 27 March 2013, the City Council (and any other decision-takers such as the Planning Inspectorate) may continue to give full weight to relevant policies in the Core Strategy and London Plan even if there is a limited degree of conflict with this framework. 

For the UDP, due weight should be given to relevant policies according to their degree of consistency with the NPPF (the closer the policies in the plan to the policies in the NPPF, the greater the weight that may be given).

Decision-takers may also give weight (unless material considerations indicate otherwise) to emerging policies according to:

• the stage of preparation (the more advanced the preparation, the greater the weight that may be given);
• the extent to which there are unresolved objections to relevant policies (the less significant the unresolved objections, the greater the weight that may be given); and
• the degree of consistency of the relevant City Management policies to the policies in the NPPF (the closer the policies the greater the weight that may be given).

The NPPF Revision to the Core Strategy has now been submitted to the Secretary of State.  The changes that were subject to Regulation 19 (formal consultation) do not have significant outstanding objections, and as they are at a later stage of preparation, should be afforded considerable weight for the purposes of considering planning applications.

Although the emerging City Management policies are a material consideration, the City Council considers that they are not yet at a stage where the detailed policies can have any significance when determining planning applications.

Permitted Development Rights Exemption

The Government recently announced plans to allow office floorspace to be changed to residential use without the need for planning permission. Westminster City Council have applied for exemption from these permitted development rights in two locations: (i) the Central Activities Zone on grounds of national economic importance and (ii) the North West Westminster Economic Development Area (NWEDA) on local economic grounds.