Westminster Council
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Regulation & Law
Big London council approves massive expansion of selective licensing
Westminster confirms selective licensing for the majority of privately rented homes in the borough following a consultation.
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Regulation & Law
Charter to give renters ‘rights’, reveals huge London council
New guide to help tenants understand their rights and access support services within Westminster City Council areas.
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Regulation & Law
Trade body to fight London council’s controversial board ban
Industry body tells Westminster Council that members’ ‘high professional standards’ mean sales and lettings boards ban should not apply to them.
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Latest property news
Council flat Airbnb host fined £100,000
Westminster Council in London evicts the council tenant who had over 300 Airbnb reviews over several years of illegal subletting.
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Latest property news
Westminster to stop ‘proliferation’ of estate agent branches after 27% increase
Westminster City Council in London is to restrict the number of new estate agent branches being set up after opting out of a key piece of planning legislation. The council says the number of new agent branches increased from 179 to 228 during the 12 months ending February 2016, an increase of 27.4%. “This represents the largest percentage increase of all London boroughs,” says Julia Corkey, the council’s Executive Director Policy, Performance and Communications (pictured). The council also says research among shoppers within Westminster showed consumers were “aware of the proliferation of estate agents in some shopping centres” and that some specifically requested ‘fewer estate agents’ as well as more and better retail. To enable the council to control the number new estate agent branches it has told the Secretary of State that from January 1st estate agents wishing to change retail usage from shops into branches will have to apply for planning permission. This means the council has opted out of Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning Order 2015 which enables retail premises to be switched via ‘permitted development’ from shops to financial and professional services without planning permission. Robert David, deputy leader of the council, told…
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Agencies & People
Estate agents face last orders as council steps in
An estate agency operating out of a 200-year old pub has been ordered by Westminster Council to vacate the premises this month or face formal action. The freeholder of The Star pub in St John’s Wood, West End Investments, decided to close the 200-year old pub earlier this year after acquiring the business in 2014, and let the premises to Champion Estates, sales and letting agents, in March after being refused planning consent by the local authority to convert the property into luxury flats. Addressing the press at the time, Gary Champion, Director of Champion Estates, said, “I’ve had people coming in asking for a beer and going away disappointed. It was a business, not a public service. We’re entitled to make a living like everyone else.” However, the decision to close the pub and replace it with an estate agency sparked outrage among many local residents and drinkers, which included music singers Sir Paul McCartney (left) and Liam Gallagher (below), especially as Westminster Council had listed the pub an Asset of Community Value. But the preservation order issued by the Council was described as useless by Tom Stainer, of the Campaign for Real Ale, who said, “This is just the…
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