The Committee met to discuss two reports: one on the North Paddington Programme and the other on the ActiveWestminster Strategy. The Committee recommended that the Council reconsider how many core themes the North Paddington Programme is attempting to address. They also recommended that the ActiveWestminster strategy makes more benches available in the public realm and publishes a timeline of events and activities to make it easier for people to find out what’s going on.

The North Paddington Programme

The Committee scrutinized the North Paddington Programme, a four year project, begun in 2023, that aims to “reduce the socio-economic and health inequalities within the borough by improving the outcomes and opportunities for those across the Northwest of Westminster”. The programme has allocated £20m to achieve its aims.

The Committee heard from the Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, Councillor Geoff Barraclough, and several officers and expert witnesses.

The Committee was particularly concerned about the apparent lack of funding for the Young Westminster Foundation going forward.

They also questioned the reasoning behind ceasing to fund “successful projects”.

“The Committee recommended that the Council does not needlessly duplicate work and instead continues to support successful projects that have had a positive impact.”Minutes of the Meeting

Councillor Barraclough commented on the “significant prevalence of working people paid below the London living wage specifically in Westbourne”¹.

One of the expert witnesses, Henry Nicholson, the CEO of the Rebel Business School, presented the Committee with an overview of the Digital Dash mentoring scheme. The Committee was particularly impressed with the scheme’s effectiveness and cost effectiveness. However, they were concerned that participants in the scheme might not have sufficient support to find employment after they had completed the course. The Committee asked that, going forward, the Council gives more thought to providing pathways to employment for participants in its schemes.

Having heard evidence from the Paddington Development Trust, the Committee raised concerns about the administrative costs of some of the projects funded as part of the programme. They particularly questioned the funding split for the Helping Hands Programme which allocated £40,000 to administrative costs out of a total budget of £70,000.

The Council commissioned RealWorth, a social value consultancy, to produce a report on the first year of the programme and to develop a framework for evaluating the programme during years two to four. The report found that the programme is attempting to address too many issues and recommended that the Council streamline its priorities.

The Committee recommended that the Council considers, as recommended within the RealWorth report, reducing the key seven themes to a more manageable number.Minutes of the Meeting

The Committee also questioned whether the Council is sufficiently engaging with young people when developing and delivering schemes. They recommended that going forward, the Council consults with young people and their networks to determine what skills might be available.

ActiveWestminster Strategy

Councillor Cara Sanquest, the Cabinet Member for Communities, and several officers presented the Committee with an overview of the proposed ActiveWestminster Strategy, which aims to increase opportunities for Westminster residents to live healthier lives.

The Committee were concerned that the strategy should learn from previous attempts to increase participation in physical activity in Westminster, and asked officers to provide more detail on what lessons had been learned. The officers acknowledged this and promised to provide more detail in the final strategy.

The Committee heard from Deryn Bath, the Head of Physical Activity at Open Age. Open Age is a charity that provides services for older people. They have worked with Westminster Council to deliver physical activities to older people in the borough. Ms Bath explained the work that her organisation does and commended the support provided by Westminster Council. However, she also pointed out that high hire charges for Council-owned facilities represent a significant barrier to participation and requested that the Council look into lowering charges to allow organisations like hers to deliver more services to residents.

The Committee were supportive of Ms Bath’s request, noting that Council facilities should be used as much as possible.

The Committee also considered feedback received from residents and local stakeholders, noting four specific themes: affordability, accessibility, safety and communication. They recommended that the Council produce a monthly timeline of events and activities that will allow residents to easily find out what is happening locally.

The Committee recommended that the Council publishes a timeline for upcoming events and activities, in one easy to read format that can be shared, possibly by Councillors to residents. Minutes of the Meeting

Several Members commented that there is a lack of seating in the public realm, particularly along known walking routes. They argued that this discourages people who are less physically able from engaging in walking as a form of exercise.

The Committee recommended that the Council looks into the possibility of providing more benches in the public realm along known walking routes. Minutes of the Meeting

The Committee also commended a site visit to Church Street that they had undertaken as part of their deliberations on the strategy, noting its usefulness in allowing them to better understand the strategy “in real terms”.

The Committee was concerned about the removal of outdoor gym equipment from Salisbury Street and recommended that the Council reinstate this equipment or, if this proves impossible, install the equipment at another location in the borough.