Copy of letter sent to Westminster Council leader, councillors involved, the CEO and executive directors

• ON behalf of amenity societies and other associations which represent residents in the Victoria neighbourhood, we express our great concern that the draft City Plan 2040 has been submitted to the secretary of state without clearly acknowledging that a significant disagreement with the draft remains unresolved.

It is regretted there is no evidence of any quality checks being applied within Westminster City Council in respect of the disputed extent of the Victoria Opportunity Area, (City wants to extend boundary, but why? Letters, October 18).

Your brief and partial presentation to the cabinet on October 21 gave the impression that the VOA had been changed as required by a very well supported petition. In fact only minor changes had been made.

We have presented residents’ concerns that the draft plan persists in designating sites for further intensive development along Victoria Street, on the north side as far as Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster World Heritage Site and on the south side through the Westminster Cathedral Piazza, as well as into Belgravia along Buckingham Palace Road.

You have asserted that this is necessary to deliver the targets of 1,000 new homes and 4,000 new jobs which are planned to be created in the VOA between 2016 and 2040 but you have failed to explain what development in the above areas could contribute to these targets.

We have pointed out that the targets can be achieved by the developments already identified for the undisputed opportunity area of Victoria station and other sites in the draft plan.

There is neither need nor scope for further intensive development to extend into sites where it would compromise public and residential amenity and degrade much of the outstanding heritage which you and all other elected councillors have a duty to protect.

In the past week the council has twice failed to exercise that duty. Neither you nor any of the relevant officers attended the scrutiny committee meeting of November 11 which was scheduled to consider your portfolio.

Then at the full council meeting of November 13 no time was allocated to the city plan which was consequently passed without debate.

The 20-storey construction currently rising along Victoria Street on the site of the former New Scotland Yard shows how grave are the risks when that duty is not effectively exercised.

That redevelopment was permitted by WCC in the face of overwhelming local opposition and is a dire example of the pressures for growth being allowed to outweigh the stated city plan objectives of to improve quality of life, ensure neighbourhoods thrive and to make the most of Westminster’s unique heritage and historic environment.

In view of this persistent failure of councillors to hold the city plan to account, it is essential that the concerns of so many residents over the extent of the proposed VOA must be transparently set out for the independent inspection which is now due. Please confirm that this will be the case.

SIGNATORIES:
PETER ROBERTS Cathedral Area Residents Group, MARY REGNIER-LEIGH The Belgravia Society, SUE BALL The Thorney Island Society, GRAEME COTTAM Queen Anne’s Gate Residents Association, KERRY MILLS Parker Buckingham Gate Association, ALISON YEO Ashley Gardens Residents Association, VISHAKHA PAREKH Morpeth Mansions, LESLIE MacLEOD-MILLER 1-3 Carlisle Place Ltd, MARGO HALCROW Cardinal Mansions, JONATHAN MOSS Ashley Court, JULIA BURTON Carlisle Mansions West, JOHN CORBETT Carlisle Mansions East, SIU FUN HUI 205 Ashley Gardens, CAROLINE GRIFFITH 1-3 Morpeth Terrace, STEPHEN SIMPSON Ashley Gardens Freeholds Ltd