Subscribe to updates

You'll receive weekly summaries about Westminster Council every week.

If you have any requests or comments please let us know at community@opencouncil.network. We can also provide custom updates on particular topics across councils.

AI Generated

Summary

At a meeting of Westminster Council, Councillor Nickie Aiken was made an Honorary Alderman, and councillors debated a range of issues including school mergers, service charge increases, adult social care funding, cycle route safety, and housing priorities. Councillors also approved constitutional changes and an amendment to member allowances for 2025-2026.

Honorary Alderman Appointment

The council voted to confer the title of Honorary Alderman on Councillor Nickie Aiken, who served as a councillor for Warwick ward for 16 years and was the Leader of the Council from January 2017 to January 2020. Councillor Rachael Robathan moved the motion, which was seconded by Councillor Adam Hug. The motion was supported by more than two thirds of members voting, as required by the Local Government Act 1972, and was carried.

Councillor Robathan said:

This must have been a terrifying thing for a young woman and a young mother. But she fought back, she came back, I'm not quite sure what they put in your brain to replace the tumour, but she came back even more energetic and enthused than ever to fight the good fight in this city.

Councillor Hug added that Councillor Aiken had made changes to the civic life of Westminster by enabling the first member of the minority party to be appointed as Lord Mayor.

Public Questions

Members of the public were given the opportunity to ask questions of cabinet members.

School Merger

Yasmin Patel presented a petition on behalf of parents and local residents concerned about the merger of schools in St Johnswood. She stated that the merger would significantly reduce school places in Westminster, and that parents felt they were not given sufficient time or information to respond to the consultation. She also raised concerns about the financial impact assessment and the future of the school buildings.

Councillor Aicha Less, Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection, responded that the decision was made because pupil numbers in St Johnswood are falling, and schools are funded on a per pupil basis. She added that the council is using developer contribution funding to support the amalgamation, and that the leadership across all schools are committed to making the amalgamation as smooth as possible.

Service Charges

Joe Fernandez asked whether service charges had doubled since Labour took control of the council. Councillor Liza Begum, Cabinet Member for Housing Services, responded that service charges can vary significantly between buildings, and that there has been a substantial rise in the cost of building insurance and energy. She added that the council is doing everything it can to keep major works bills down and service charges as low as possible, and that it offers extensive support for residents through its cost of living programme.

Adult Social Care Funding

Perpetua Manjana asked for consideration to be made to either increase adult social care funding or to bring back supporting people funding for older people within social housing. Councillor Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary Sector, responded that funding for adult social care has been reduced over the last 15 years, but that adult social care services in Westminster are very good. She added that people aged over 60 with a housing need are able to access community supportive housing, and that 65 extra care flats are currently being built in Maida Vale.

Cycle Route Safety

Simon Webb asked for talks with the Royal Borough of Chelsea about safer cycling routes to schools, particularly under the by-borough arrangements where many children have to travel between the two. Councillor Max Sullivan, Cabinet Member for Streets, responded that he would pose the question to the cabinet member at RBKC to see what can be done to improve the legacy infrastructure of Cycleway 27.

New Housing Developments

Pooja Gopta asked whether there are any preferences in new housing developments for residents who have been working and staying in the council for a long time, but are not necessarily eligible for affordable housing or shared ownership schemes. Councillor Ellie Ormsby, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters, responded that the council has very limited powers when it comes to new market sales, but that it does everything it can to ensure Westminster residents get access to these opportunities first. She added that the council has much more control when it comes to delivering affordable housing, and is taking steps to ensure it prioritises long-term Westminster tenants.

Councillor Questions

Councillors were given the opportunity to ask questions of cabinet members and committee chairs.

Dockless Hire Bikes

Councillor Paul Swaddle OBE, Leader of the Opposition, asked Councillor Sullivan what he had specifically done since being appointed to tackle the problem with dockless hire bikes in the borough. Councillor Sullivan responded that he had been working closely with the now Lord Mayor since May 2022 to create a comprehensive network of bays across Westminster, and that new operation collaboration agreements have been signed with both Lime and Forest, which hold them to higher standards.

Oxford Street

Councillor Swaddle asked the Leader of the Council, Councillor Adam Hug, when he last met the mayor face-to-face to discuss Oxford Street, and whether he would back calls for Westminster to look at using a judicial review to fight the mayor's plans. Councillor Hug responded that he had spoken with the mayor on a number of occasions, and that the council has taken legal advice throughout this, and it is clear that at present there are no obvious grounds for judicial review.

Soho Society

Councillor Swaddle asked Councillor Hug whether he understood that residents and members of the Soho Society are furious that the Society has been put into financial peril due to the political ambitions of one of his candidates. Councillor Hug responded that he was not entirely clear what Councillor Swaddle was referring to, and that all appropriate manners have been followed.

Automatic Front Door

Councillor Lorraine Dean asked Councillor Less about an elderly disabled man in Little Venice who has been waiting nearly two years for an automatic front door. Councillor Less responded that she was unaware of this particular case, but agreed it is unacceptable for an elderly man to be waiting two years for a basic adaption.

CCTV in Paddington Rec

Councillor Iman Less asked Councillor Aicha Less about two stabbings in Paddington Rec, and whether there was any more information that could be shared. Councillor Aicha Less responded that she was deeply saddened to hear about the stabbings, and that officers have been in touch with both victims and the schools around how they can work with them. She added that there are 50 cameras in Paddington Rec, and they were fully operational at the time of the incident.

Councillor Iman Less asked a supplementary question about reports that some of the CCTV cameras in Paddington Rec were not working or facing the wrong direction. Councillor Aicha Less responded that she could confirm that all the cameras were working.

Recycling Bins

Councillor Selina Short asked Councillor Sullivan about dumping around the communal recycling bins near the Milbank Estate and on Horsefairy Road, which seems it is happening because recycling bins are now locked. Councillor Sullivan responded that the reason that the big black bins for recycling are locked is to reduce contamination, but that he was happy to look at that practice and see how it's working.

Councillor Disengagement

Councillor Robert Eagleton asked Councillor Hug whether he could reassure residents that if a councillor on his side of the chamber did anything like the disengagement that a member of the minority party had done, they'd be swiftly suspended by himself from the group. Councillor Hug responded that they would take swift action to make sure that any member is living up to their duties to represent the residents of Westminster.

Housing Allocation System

Councillor Melvyn Caplan asked Councillor Begum whether she had officers undertake an analysis of who would benefit from the new housing allocation system, and more importantly, who would lose under the new system. Councillor Begum responded that they co-produced it with residents, and did an equalities impact assessment.

Councillor Caplan asked a supplementary question about a constituent with multiple sclerosis, and where there are two children of different sexes living in effectively a one-bedroom flat, who was previously number 13 for a direct offer under the old system for a three-bedroom flat, but is now finding themselves bidding at number 140. Councillor Begum responded that the new allocations policy actually looks at cumulative need, and that she would be more than happy to have a look at that particular case.

Insourcing Solutions

Councillor Hamza Taouzzale asked Councillor David Boothroyd, Cabinet Member for Finance and Council Reform, what progress has been made to consider in-source solutions for council services. Councillor Boothroyd responded that the insourcing framework that was introduced in January 2023 ensures that an in-house delivery model is considered when it may improve services and or save money. He added that several in-source solutions have been adopted, most notably in-housing services, and that he has recently agreed to insource the IT services helpdesk contract from BT.

Councillor Taouzzale asked a supplementary question about whether the insourcing of the IT helpdesk will deliver improved service levels and what the cost will be. Councillor Boothroyd responded that it will mean that it is more focused on the actual needs of Westminster City Council, and that it will actually save the council about half a million a year.

Business Rates Reform

Councillor Alan Mendoza asked Councillor Boothroyd what assessment he has made regarding the impact of his Government's plans to impose business rates reform here in Westminster. Councillor Boothroyd responded that the council has recently responded to the consultation on the resetting of business rates, but that the timing may not be ideal, because the final data won't be known until late 2025-26 for the next financial year.

Flood Prevention

Councillor Sara Hassan asked Councillor Geoff Barraclough, Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development, what the council is doing to prevent flooding, or what mechanisms are we putting in place. Councillor Barraclough responded that there is no single large-scale engineering solution to the challenge of flooding, and that instead, we need a layered approach. He added that the council has created a new digital flood map of Westminster, updated the city plan to give new guidance for developments, is reinforcing its guided maintenance programme, and allocating £7.3 million to sustainable urban drainage1 and other physical flood measures.

Councillor Hassan asked a supplementary question about when residents will start seeing changes. Councillor Barraclough responded that to some extent, you already can, and that if you go to Maida Hill Place or Shepherd Market in Mayfair, you'll see what look like ordinary flowerbeds, but are actually rain gardens.

Housing Outreach Team

Councillor Tim Barnes asked Councillor Begum how many times the housing outreach team has visited the temporary Westminster residents in the illegal tents on Park Lane, and whether they joined the Met officers recently sent by Labour's Mayor to inquire about their welfare. Councillor Begum responded that our outreach services are always at the Park Lane encampment, working very closely with the people in the encampment, and that from the last update she had, we had at least 13 people that had taken up the outreach services.

Councillor Barnes asked a supplementary question about whether the residents of those same tents should be prioritised for housing over others in the city who may have need, as laid out under our own new policies. Councillor Begum responded that she couldn't give a blanket answer on that, and that everyone has particular needs, so we'd have to look at the individual needs and then support them on a pathway.

West End Live

Councillor Patrick Lilley asked Councillor Ryan Jude, Cabinet Member for Climate, Ecology, Culture and Equality, about how the West End Live event went. Councillor Jude responded that it went incredibly well, and that there were almost 70,000 attendees, over 50 shows, and all the work that went into it culminated in a fantastic experience for everyone.

Tap Water Contamination

Councillor Ed Pitt Ford asked Councillor Hug about the tap water in Morgan House having tested positive for hydrocarbons considered harmful to human health. Councillor Hug responded that he has been talking actively to officers about this case, and that a lot of work has been done by the council to try and respond to those concerns working with Thames Water.

Meanwhile Programme

Councillor Maggie Carman asked Councillor Barraclough about the Meanwhile Programme. Councillor Barraclough responded that the programme is helping to revitalise the West End by matching innovative new brands with vacant retail space, and that we just launched our largest Meanwhile project ever, called Style of Our Own, a celebration of female founded sportswear brands.

Councillor Carman asked a supplementary question about whether the programme is being extended outside the West End. Councillor Barraclough responded that we are now looking to take the Meanwhile Programme beyond the West End, bringing life back to vacant buildings in other parts of the city, and that one example is the old Job Centre on Lisson Grove.

Services for Homeless Women

Councillor Arthur Manor asked Councillor Less about what provision the council is making when the Marlebone Project closes. Councillor Begum responded that we are all saddened to learn that Church Army have made the decision to close the sanctuary scheme, and that we have been supporting Church Army to support women who are affected by the closure and so they can be referred to alternative service provision.

Bus Network

Councillor Angela Piddock asked Councillor Sullivan what he is doing to support the bus network. Councillor Sullivan responded that we are reviewing pinch points for buses across the city, and that we are progressing plans for 5.5 kilometres of new and extended bus lanes.

Council Priorities in the West End

Councillor Paul Fisher spoke on his chosen topic of Council Priorities in the West End, Oxford Street Tents and Crime. He criticised the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the Labour Party, and said that he was proud to have joined the Conservatives in opposition to it.

Councillor Aicha Less responded that the issue of encampments across the city is serious and highly visible, and that council teams are working around the clock to help resolve it. She added that the Mayor's announcement last week that the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street is going ahead was not the Council's preferred option, but it was hardly unexpected.

Housing for Westminster Debate

The opposition group selected the topic of Housing for Westminster for debate.

Councillor David Harvey opened the debate, and said that the Labour party's manifesto from 2022 is on the cusp of failure. He added that across this chamber, whether we follow Macmillan or Bevan, we all believe very strongly in the moral imperative of social housing and good social housing.

Councillor Martin Hayes spoke about crime and safety on estates, and said that the Labour Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has created a situation where crime and disorder on our streets is no longer punished and indeed is permitted.

Councillor Taouzzale spoke about the inadequacies and issues that plagued our Westminster homes, and said that under this current council's leadership, those living in Westminster council flats have seen drastic improvements to their homes, their communities, and their standards of living.

Councillor Robert Rigby spoke about the challenges of housing in Westminster for our residents, and said that intermediate housing plays a crucial role in the delivery of affordable housing, especially when it comes to helping key workers.

Councillor Mark Shearer spoke about the Labour group's promise to build more homes, and said that of all the promises, where Labour has lightly fallen short in these three years, their failure to add a material number of affordable homes to Westminster's pipeline is debatably their biggest failure.

Councillor Liza Begum responded that her one top priority as Cabinet Member for Housing Services is to make life easier for residents, and that ambition is at the heart of achieving a fairer Westminster. She added that we inherited a housing service that faced severe challenges, but that fast forward to now, our housing services have just been rated C1 by the Social Housing Regulator.

Supporting Private Renters Motion

Councillor Ellie Ormsby moved a motion on Supporting Private Renters, and said that Westminster has the largest private rented sector in England with over 44% of households renting privately. She added that the private rented sector remains the least affordable, poorest quality and most insecure form of housing, and that we have been doing everything within our power to support private renters and have expanded our private rented sector strategy with an ambitious new action plan for the year.

Councillor Matt Noble seconded the motion, and said that the time that it's taken for the Renters' Rights Bill to make its way to this stage in Parliament did give us the opportunity to really fine-tune the Private Renter Sector Charter, working in collaboration with the Council's Private Renter Sector Strategy Group.

Councillor Robert Eagleton spoke in favour of the motion, and said that the crisis in the private rented sector and its deplorable features, precarity, high costs and poor maintenance, can often feel like the proverbial hydra.

Councillor Concia Albert spoke in favour of the motion, and said that if you are renting privately in Westminster, your rent can be sky-high whilst your rights can be in the basement.

Councillor Paul Swaddle said that the opposition would be abstaining from the motion as it serves no purpose.

Councillor Angela Piddock spoke in favour of the motion, and said that people may be living in rented accommodation for a variety of reasons, and the often negative connotations renting has in the UK are not shared for the health of a community.

Councillor Ormsby responded to the debate, and said that she was very disappointed that the minority party have obviously not properly engaged with this issue for their residents.

The motion was carried.

Constitutional Changes

The council voted on the recommendations of the report listed under agenda item 11 and entitled Constitutional Changes. The recommendations were approved.

Member Allowances

The council voted on the recommendations of the report listed under agenda item 12 and entitled Member Allowances 2025 to 2026 amendment. The recommendations were approved.


  1. Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) are a range of techniques designed to manage surface water runoff in a way that mimics natural processes. 

Attendees

Profile image for CouncillorConcia Albert
CouncillorConcia Albert  Labour •  Harrow Road
Profile image for Councillor Barbara Arzymanow
Councillor Barbara Arzymanow  Conservative •  Marylebone
Profile image for Councillor Tim Barnes
Councillor Tim Barnes  Deputy Leader of the Opposition •  Conservative •  West End
Profile image for CouncillorGeoff Barraclough
CouncillorGeoff Barraclough  Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development •  Labour •  Maida Vale
Profile image for CouncillorLiza Begum
CouncillorLiza Begum  Cabinet Member for Housing Services •  Labour •  Pimlico South
Profile image for CouncillorDavid Boothroyd
CouncillorDavid Boothroyd  Cabinet Member for Finance and Council Reform •  Labour •  Westbourne
Profile image for CouncillorRuth Bush
CouncillorRuth Bush  Labour •  Harrow Road
Profile image for CouncillorNafsika Butler-Thalassis
CouncillorNafsika Butler-Thalassis  Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary Sector and Lead Member SEN and Learning Disabilities Champion •  Labour •  Maida Vale
Profile image for Councillor Melvyn Caplan
Councillor Melvyn Caplan  Conservative •  Little Venice
Profile image for Councillor Maggie Carman
Councillor Maggie Carman  Deputy Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care, Supported and Specialist Housing •  Labour •  Bayswater
Profile image for Councillor Md Shamsed Chowdhury
Councillor Md Shamsed Chowdhury  Deputy Cabinet Member - Streets and Lead Member - Edgware Road Champion •  Labour •  Hyde Park
Profile image for CouncillorLaila Cunningham
CouncillorLaila Cunningham  Reform UK •  Lancaster Gate
Profile image for CouncillorLorraine Dean
CouncillorLorraine Dean  Conservative •  Little Venice
Profile image for CouncillorAnthony Devenish
CouncillorAnthony Devenish  Conservative •  Knightsbridge and Belgravia
Profile image for CouncillorPaul Dimoldenberg
CouncillorPaul Dimoldenberg  Lord Mayor •  Labour •  Hyde Park
Profile image for Councillor Robert Eagleton
Councillor Robert Eagleton  Deputy Cabinet Member - Housing •  Labour •  Pimlico South
Profile image for CouncillorPaul Fisher
CouncillorPaul Fisher  Conservative •  West End
Profile image for CouncillorHannah Galley
CouncillorHannah Galley  Conservative •  Abbey Road
Profile image for CouncillorJim Glen
CouncillorJim Glen  Conservative •  Pimlico North
Profile image for CouncillorDavid Harvey
CouncillorDavid Harvey  Conservative •  Vincent Square
Profile image for CouncillorSara Hassan
CouncillorSara Hassan  Deputy Cabinet Member - Equalities and Skills and Lead Member - Women and Girls' Champion •  Labour •  Little Venice
Profile image for CouncillorMartin Hayes
CouncillorMartin Hayes  Conservative •  Vincent Square
Profile image for Councillor Elizabeth Hitchcock
Councillor Elizabeth Hitchcock  Conservative •  Knightsbridge and Belgravia
Profile image for CouncillorRegan Hook
CouncillorRegan Hook  Deputy Cabinet Member - Public Protection and Animal Welfare Champion •  Labour •  Harrow Road
Profile image for CouncillorAdam Hug
CouncillorAdam Hug  Leader of the Council •  Labour •  Westbourne
Profile image for Councillor Louise Hyams
Councillor Louise Hyams  Conservative •  St James's
Profile image for CouncillorRyan Jude
CouncillorRyan Jude  Cabinet Member - Climate, Ecology, Culture and Air Quality •  Labour •  Lancaster Gate
Profile image for CouncillorAicha Less
CouncillorAicha Less  Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection •  Labour •  Church Street
Profile image for Councillor Iman Less
Councillor Iman Less  Night Time Champion •  Labour •  Maida Vale
Profile image for Councillor Patrick Lilley
Councillor Patrick Lilley  Deputy Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Lead Member for Soho and LGBTQ+ Champion •  Labour •  West End
Profile image for CouncillorPatricia McAllister
CouncillorPatricia McAllister  Deputy Cabinet Member - Public and Mental Health •  Labour •  Queen's Park
Profile image for CouncillorAlan Mendoza
CouncillorAlan Mendoza  Conservative •  Abbey Road
Profile image for Councillor Tim Mitchell
Councillor Tim Mitchell  Conservative •  St James's
Profile image for CouncillorMatt Noble
CouncillorMatt Noble  Labour •  Church Street
Profile image for CouncillorEllie Ormsby
CouncillorEllie Ormsby  Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters and Armed Forces Champion •  Labour and Co-operative •  Lancaster Gate
Profile image for CouncillorRalu Oteh-Osoka
CouncillorRalu Oteh-Osoka  Conservative •  Regent's Park
Profile image for Councillor Angela Piddock
Councillor Angela Piddock  Labour •  Westbourne
Profile image for CouncillorEd Pitt Ford
CouncillorEd Pitt Ford  Conservative •  Pimlico North
Profile image for Councillor Robert Rigby
Councillor Robert Rigby  Conservative •  Regent's Park
Profile image for CouncillorRachael Robathan
CouncillorRachael Robathan  Conservative •  Knightsbridge and Belgravia
Profile image for CouncillorIan Rowley
CouncillorIan Rowley  Conservative •  Marylebone
Profile image for CouncillorCara Sanquest
CouncillorCara Sanquest  Cabinet Member for Communities •  Labour •  Queen's Park
Profile image for Councillor Caroline Sargent
Councillor Caroline Sargent  Deputy Leader of the Opposition •  Conservative •  Abbey Road
Profile image for Councillor Karen Scarborough
Councillor Karen Scarborough  Conservative •  Marylebone
Profile image for CouncillorMark Shearer
CouncillorMark Shearer  Conservative •  St James's
Profile image for CouncillorSelina Short
CouncillorSelina Short  Conservative •  Vincent Square
Profile image for CouncillorJames Small-Edwards
CouncillorJames Small-Edwards  Deputy Cabinet Member - Regeneration •  Labour and Co-operative •  Bayswater
Profile image for Councillor Judith Southern
Councillor Judith Southern  Lead Member - Older Persons Champion •  Labour •  Hyde Park
Profile image for CouncillorMax Sullivan
CouncillorMax Sullivan  Cabinet Member for Streets and Cycling Champion •  Labour •  Bayswater
Profile image for Councillor Paul Swaddle OBE
Councillor Paul Swaddle OBE  Leader of the Opposition •  Conservative •  Regent's Park
Profile image for Councillor Hamza Taouzzale
Councillor Hamza Taouzzale  Labour •  Queen's Park
Profile image for Councillor Aziz Toki
Councillor Aziz Toki  Chair of Licensing •  Labour •  Church Street
Profile image for CouncillorJacqui Wilkinson
CouncillorJacqui Wilkinson  Conservative •  Pimlico North
Profile image for CouncillorJason Williams
CouncillorJason Williams  Chair of Planning •  Labour •  Pimlico South

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.