The Enforcement and Resident Services and Civic Pride Policy and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss its work programme, receive updates from Cabinet Members on enforcement and resident services, and review the future of the council's leisure facilities portfolio. Key decisions included shaping the committee's work programme for the upcoming year and initiating a review of the council's leisure facilities management.

Work Programme 2026-2027

The committee considered its work programme for the 2026/27 municipal year. Members requested that the report on the Safer Westminster Partnership Strategy, scheduled for the December 2026 meeting, also address CCTV, antisocial behaviour, and related enforcement matters. Future work programme items proposed by members include voluntary and community sector grant funding, an update on libraries, ward budgets, and an outcomes-based review of the council's enforcement activity. The committee specifically requested that the enforcement review assess outcomes rather than just activity levels, incorporating resident experience, hotspot data, repeat offending, and appropriate enforcement measures. Interim updates from Cabinet Member reports will continue, with a request for a concise enforcement outcomes matrix to be presented within six months, if practicable. Libraries were also requested for consideration at the February 2027 meeting. The committee supported grouping related or time-sensitive Cabinet Member items to allow for earlier consideration. An action was agreed to update the work programme accordingly.

Update from the Cabinet Member for Enforcement

Councillor Caroline Sargent, Cabinet Member for Enforcement, provided an update on her portfolio's priorities. Discussions covered a range of enforcement issues, including:

• Dockless Bikes: The council's approach to enforcing regulations on dockless bikes was discussed, including powers to enforce against individual users, relocate or suspend docking bays posing safety risks, and considerations for expanding docking bays. The possibility of operators recovering costs from individual riders and restricting repeat offenders were also raised. The council has seen a significant increase in enforcement, with 4,904 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued year-to-date in 2026/27, compared to 1,259 in the previous year. A total of £300,000 in FPNs and seizure costs have been levied. The council is also working on improving its Report It function for residents and exploring new bay locations.
• Fixed Penalty Notices: The committee received information on identified hotspots for FPNs, the amount of funds retrieved from FPNs and seizure charges, and an increase in the number issued.
• Proportionality in Enforcement: Concerns were raised about the increased level of enforcement potentially leading to a higher proportion of incorrectly issued or subsequently cancelled notices.
• Persistent Non-Compliance by Businesses: The council's graduated response to persistent non-compliance by businesses, including warnings, FPNs, prosecution, and regulatory powers for licensing, food safety, and health and safety, was detailed. Stakeholder discussions and resident concerns were also addressed.
• Demonstrating Enforcement Effectiveness: The committee discussed how the council demonstrates that its enforcement actions are working.
• Policing and Antisocial Behaviour: Updates were provided on street-based antisocial behaviour, outcomes from increased patrols and interventions, and persistent hotspots.
• Tents and Encampments: The council's collaboration with Transport for London (TfL) and other landowners to address tents and encampments, including applying for possession orders and coordinating action, was discussed.
• CCTV: The pilot programme for artificial intelligence in CCTV and the privacy safeguards in place were mentioned.
• Short-Term Accommodation: The unlawful use of social housing for short-term accommodation, enforcement actions, and information provided to residents on reporting suspected abuse were discussed. The council is investigating approximately 2,800 properties suspected of unlawful short-term letting.
• Paddington Recreation Ground: The volume of e-bikes being ridden within the ground and the effectiveness of operator geofencing were raised.

Several actions were agreed, including providing a breakdown of dockless bike FPNs and seizure charges, reporting on challenges and cancellations of FPNs in future updates, including resident-facing outcomes from antisocial behaviour patrols, working with TfL and landowners to verify possession-order maps, and improving information provided to residents about reporting short-term letting abuse.

Update from the Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Civic Pride

Councillor Robert Rigby, Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Civic Pride, presented an update on his portfolio. Key discussion points included:

• Community Priorities Programme: The committee considered proposed changes to the Community Priorities Programme (CPP), which would see it become a more focused prevention programme funded by the Public Health Grant, with a reduced budget of approximately £500,000 per year. Applications would need to demonstrate a clear contribution to public health outcomes, and borough-wide eligibility is being considered.
• Public Health Measures: The assessment of grant applications against public health outcomes and the metrics for measuring improvement were discussed.
• Registrars Service: The income-generating potential of the Registrars Service, particularly at the Old Marylebone Town Hall, was highlighted, with plans to increase income and net contribution. The service is preparing for increased competition and market changes.
• Core Grants: The importance of core grants to the voluntary and community sectors and plans beyond the current three-year programme were discussed.
• Greening Fund: The criteria for assessing value for money and geographical fairness for the Greening Fund were reviewed, along with the number, distribution, and cost of hanging baskets. The potential for increased external sponsorship was also mentioned.
• Libraries: A programme of engagement to inform a new five-year Libraries and Archives Strategy for Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea has been launched. This engagement seeks views on services, access, and future development. Refurbishments at Paddington Library and plans for Queen's Park Library and the relocation of Marylebone Library to Seymour Leisure Centre were discussed. St John's Wood Library is temporarily closed for repairs.
• Active Westminster Facility Usage: The council's leisure centres recorded approximately 2.2 million visits in 2025/26, with 62% of users being Westminster residents. The committee discussed opportunities to increase participation during off-peak periods and improve the use of available space. The Westminster Mile event was also mentioned.
• Cycling and E-bikes in Paddington Recreation Ground: The effectiveness of geofencing, signage adequacy, and a review of applicable enforcement arrangements were discussed.

Actions included investigating cycling and e-bike use in Paddington Recreation Ground and providing the committee with the relevant section of the Community Priorities Programme grant application form and a map showing the distribution of centrally funded hanging baskets.

The Future of Westminster's Leisure Facilities Portfolio

The committee reviewed the council's leisure facilities portfolio in advance of a potential re-procurement process. The current contract with Everyone Active runs until June 2029, with an option to extend to June 2031. The report presented options for the future management of the portfolio, including:

• Extending the current contractual arrangement to June 2031: This option was presented as the recommended approach by officers, offering continuity, protecting the improved guaranteed income, and reducing mobilisation risk.
• Re-letting the portfolio as a single contract: This would involve testing the market and potentially securing improved commercial terms.
• Re-letting the portfolio through multiple lots: This approach could separate larger commercial operations from community-focused delivery, allowing smaller organisations to bid for local provision.
• Establishing an in-house or local-authority trading company model: These options were considered not viable by officers due to significant resource requirements and financial risks.

Discussions focused on balancing income generation with community access, affordability, and investment in facilities. The committee was asked to provide feedback on the preferred strategic direction. The report detailed the history of the leisure contract, usage patterns across the 11 leisure sites, market position, and the intended role of each centre. It also outlined the current membership and pricing structures, including resident discounts and concessions.

The committee made recommendations that the council should undertake proportionate soft-market testing and further examine the single-contract and multiple-lot re-procurement options alongside negotiations for a possible extension of the existing contract. A resulting appraisal will compare the financial, commercial, operational, and community benefits and risks of extending the current arrangement, re-letting as a single contract, or re-letting through multiple lots. This appraisal will consider guaranteed income, operator investment, pricing and resident concessions, site-specific operating models, community access, public-health outcomes, opening hours, maintenance responsibilities, performance indicators, and marketing partnerships. An information request was made for the committee to receive further details on the public-health and community-development outcomes delivered through the current leisure contract. The committee was also invited to visit Seymour Leisure Centre before its formal reopening.