The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will consider a report on the Westminster After Dark Strategy as well as shape their work programme for 2025/26. The committee will also receive the Leader of the Council's cabinet update summarising the activities and decisions of the cabinet since their last meeting.

Westminster After Dark Strategy

The draft Westminster After Dark Strategy is scheduled to be scrutinised by the committee. It is a wide-ranging document, setting out the council's vision for the borough between 6pm and 6am. Its introduction says the strategy is:

designed to support and create a vibrant, safe, and inclusive space that benefits everyone, whether they live, work, study, run a business, or provide essential services in Westminster.

It is intended to take a holistic view of the borough, balancing the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors, while promoting safety, culture, economic growth, and sustainability. The draft strategy acknowledges the challenges of achieving this balance, particularly in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis. The strategy seeks to address crime, nuisance, and crowd management, recognizing the need to reimagine approaches to resilience and sustainability.

The strategy is structured around five strategic pillars, each with its own specific objectives, underpinned by the vision for Westminster After Dark:

By 2040, Westminster will elevate and further develop its reputation as an exciting, inclusive, and sustainable evening and night-time global destination, prioritising the needs and experiences of its residents, visitors, workers, and businesses. Anchored by safety, culture, accessibility, economic opportunity, and sustainability, the Westminster After Dark Strategy will enhance the city between 6pm and 6am as a welcoming, thriving, and resilient place for everyone.

The draft strategy emphasizes that successful delivery relies on strong collaboration with stakeholders, aiming to align regulation with innovation and partnership working. It notes that there is no legal requirement for the council to produce an evening and night-time strategy, nor an obligation for planning and licensing applicants to formally consider it. However, the strategy can play a valuable role in shaping new policy development, such as the council's City Plan and Licensing Policy.

The strategy's five strategic pillars are as follows:

Safe and Secure

This pillar is concerned with ensuring a safer evening and night-time environment for all those who live, work, and visit the borough after dark. Key objectives include fostering collaboration and responsibility between venues, police, and other stakeholders, enhancing women's safety, and combatting violence against women and girls (VAWG), developing a unified licensing policy framework, reducing noise impacts, implementing targeted crime reduction strategies, and securing funding and investment to address issues that arise at night.

The report pack contains several examples of how the strategy seeks to achieve these objectives, including a summary of the findings of a Westminster Women's Safety Audit, which found inconsistencies in street lighting across the borough, poor maintenance and limited accessibility of public facilities such as toilets, and a perceived lack of visible security, all of which contribute to feelings of insecurity, particularly for women after 9pm.

Accessible and Positive Places

This pillar emphasises the importance of creating welcoming, inclusive, and well-designed public spaces during the evening and night-time, promoting positive social interactions. Key objectives include: improving accessibility through enhancements to lighting, transport links, and public amenities, creating vibrant public spaces, promoting active recreation, addressing hate and discrimination, fostering social and cultural inclusivity, maintaining clean and sustainable night-time spaces, and enhancing digital connectivity.

The report pack highlights Kingly Court in Carnaby, Soho, as an example of an accessible and positive night-time destination. The report pack praises Kingly Court's accessibility features, its diverse tenant mix, its pedestrianised surroundings, and its focus on sustainability and inclusive dining choices.

Communities and Culture

This pillar aims to protect and celebrate the borough's diverse cultural heritage, with a focus on supporting LGBTQ+ venues, family-friendly activities, and community-led events.

Key objectives include:

• Expanding financial accessibility to cultural experiences
• Establishing sustainable funding models for cultural and community initiatives
• Protecting LGBTQ+ venues and safeguarding their cultural significance
• Addressing issues of rough sleeping and homelessness
• Fostering balanced and inclusive evening and night-time experiences beyond central areas like Soho and the West End
• Creating inclusive, accessible cultural programs that foster a sense of community and belonging

Economic Development and Opportunities

This pillar seeks to support the night-time economy as a driver of growth while ensuring a balanced approach between economic vitality and community well-being. Its key objectives include:

• Supporting night workers with fair pay, access to health services, and safe transport options
• Harmonizing licensing and planning policies to promote innovation and balance growth
• Empowering residents through skills development and career pathways in the evening and night-time economy, particularly within the hospitality and creative industries
• Establishing collaborative management structures to enhance growth in the evening and night-time economy by working with Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), businesses, cultural institutions, and regulatory bodies to create a dynamic and sustainable night-time environment
• Diversifying Central Westminster's evening and night-time economy to offer a greater range of options, such as cultural experiences and family-friendly activities
• Introducing Late-Night Entertainment Zones to host diverse cultural and entertainment activities, potentially located in areas including Oxford Street (between Regent Street and Charing Cross Road), The Strand (between Villiers Street and Savoy Street), and Victoria Street (between Buckingham Gate and Buckingham Palace Road)
• Enhancing areas beyond central Westminster, such as Paddington, by creating accessible spaces and supporting local businesses
• Promoting the borough's global reputation as a premier destination for evening and night-time activities

Environmental Sustainability and Biodiversity

This pillar, added to the draft strategy after discussions with officers and in response to the council's prioritisation of climate action and biodiversity, aims to embed sustainability into all aspects of the borough's evening and night-time activities.

It sets out objectives including:

• Encouraging energy-efficient lighting and eco-friendly business practices
• Promoting circular economy initiatives and responsible waste management
• Enhancing urban biodiversity through projects such as rooftop gardens and green corridors
• Expanding sustainable transport options, such as pedestrian-friendly routes, cycling infrastructure, and electric vehicle initiatives

The report pack refers to Westminster's electric waste collection fleet, which operates 24 hours a day, as an example of the council's commitment to environmental sustainability.

Work Programme 2025/26

The Committee will consider its work programme for the coming municipal year. They will receive a report which sets out the meetings the committee has held since they last discussed their work programme, on July 25th 2024, and the recommendations made, actions agreed, and information requested during those meetings.

The report pack also reminds the committee of its terms of reference and says they should take account of these when considering their future work programme:

1) To provide overall leadership to the Policy and Scrutiny function, coordinating across work programmes and requesting that other committees investigate particular issues where appropriate and necessary. 
2) To scrutinise cross-cutting or corporate areas of policy and/or service delivery, including but not limited to: 
    • Corporate strategy 
    • Crime and disorder 
    • Emergency planning 
    • The local economy 
    • Overall Local Development Framework (Planning Policy) 
    • Overall licensing policy 
    • Overall financial management (to the extent that this is not handled by the Audit and Performance Committee) 
    • Corporate Property 
    • Commercial Services and Procurement 
    • Staffing/HR 
    • Legal 
3) To approve the Annual Report of Policy and Scrutiny activity and submit this to Full Council where necessary. 
4) To exercise call-in provisions for issues within the scope of this terms of reference or for any matter which does not fall within the scope of the terms of reference for any other Policy and Scrutiny Committee. 
5) To discharge the Council’s statutory responsibilities under Section 19 of the Police and Justice Act 2006, thus acting as the Council’s crime and disorder committee and fulfilling all the duties that entails.

They will also consider whether they want to set up any task groups or single member studies during the year.

Leader's Cabinet Update

Councillor Adam Hug will provide the committee with an update on the cabinet's recent activities.

Housing Inspection Update

The council has received a C1 rating, the highest possible, for its housing services from the Regulator of Social Housing. The report credits this rating to the council's recent focus on maintenance, allocations, improving repairs, complaints, and support for vulnerable residents. It says:

Central to this has been a focus on improving the frontline service offer, including opening more service centres and a focus on engaging and listening to residents.

The report highlights the revised Housing Allocation Scheme, which prioritizes households with multiple needs, and the insourcing of the Housing Solutions Service, which is due to be implemented at the beginning of April.

Oxford Street

The council has continued to work with the Mayor of London's office on the transformation of Oxford Street. The cabinet update says:

"The Council has been working with the Mayor’s team to ensure that any transformation of Oxford Street includes:

• A reduced Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) boundary, maintaining local council oversight in surrounding areas.
• Investment in the eastern end of Oxford Street.
• Improved security and safety measures managed by the GLA, Council, and police.
• Retained taxi access and prioritisation of electric buses for displaced routes.
• A commitment to freight consolidation to reduce disruption to local businesses and residents.
• A financial mechanism allowing Westminster to retain key development funds for infrastructure and local improvements.

We will continue to work pragmatically with the Mayor - further consultation is expected, and the Council will continue working to ensure local voices are heard in shaping Oxford Street’s future."

Cabinet

The report pack summarizes the decisions the cabinet has made since its last meeting.

Budget 2025/26

The council has approved its budget for the coming year. Major investments include:

• £26 million for adult social care, to ensure the continuation of high-quality services, including support for residents with complex needs
• £70 million, reallocated from Oxford Street funding, to placemaking projects including enhancements to Paddington Green, Warwick Avenue, and the Grand Union Canal
• £10 million for high streets, including Pimlico, Paddington, and Bayswater, to support businesses and improve public spaces
• £2 million for enhanced CCTV and enforcement of anti-social behaviour, doubling the number of cameras in the borough and expanding enforcement teams
• £3 million for flood prevention, focusing on surface water flooding mitigation to protect residents and businesses

Fairer Westminster Delivery Plan

The council has published its Fairer Westminster Delivery Plan for 2025/26. The plan sets out the council's priorities, including:

• Delivering more than 200 council homes and expanding the borough's temporary accommodation stock
• Investing in high streets, business hubs, and employment support to support economic growth
• Expanding electric vehicle infrastructure, introducing food waste recycling to more neighborhoods, and further developing green public spaces as part of its environmental action plan
• Enhancing CCTV coverage, introducing new anti-social behaviour enforcement measures, and improving night-time economy policies to promote public safety

10 by 10 Programme

The council has launched the 10 by 10 programme, which aims to give every child in the borough the opportunity to experience ten enriching activities before the age of ten. These activities include learning to swim, riding a bike, visiting cultural institutions, playing a musical instrument, participating in sports, and exploring creative arts. The report says:

The initiative aims to boost children's confidence, skills, and aspirations, particularly benefiting those from disadvantaged backgrounds who may not otherwise have access to these experiences.

The council is working with schools, community groups, and cultural organisations to make these activities widely available to all children regardless of their financial circumstances.