OUR RELATIONSHIPS

WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL

Since the inception of the Trust in 1998, it has established a working relation with Westminster City Council.  In addition to regular dialogue with the three St. James’s Ward Councillors, it has a close and mutually co-operative relationship with the Department of Planning and City Development and the Licensing Services.  Each week it receives all planning and licensing applications relevant to its area of interest and its response to any which require comment by the Trust are always well considered by the Council. 

The Trust frequently meets members and senior officers of the City Council, at the very highest level, to discuss planning, licensing and amenity matters concerning the core area of St. James’s.
The Trust is indebted to the Members and Officers of Westminster City Council for the great support it has received, from them, in its work.  It wishes, also, to acknowledge the co-operation of developers and their architectural advisors in fully  informing the Trust of their proposals and in considering the Trust’s views.

Consultation by the City Council

The Trust has been consulted by the City Council on the contents of:

• The Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and the Revised UDP 2007
(The core area was, for the first time, included as a separate entity from Mayfair)
• The Conservation Audit  St James’s No 17
• Supplementary Planning Guidance for Entertainment Uses St James’s
(It has used the Trust’s first two studies as references)
• Local Development Framework-Core Strategy
• Statement of Licensing Policy - 2005 and 2008
• West End Stress area.  The Stress Areas in Westminster are relevant to both planning and licensing, and the core area of St. .James’s lies adjacent to the West End Stress Area.  Being part of the City Council’s Central Activities Area it is vulnerable to inappropriate Planning and Licensing developments; however, it if were included within the West End Stress Area, it would be afforded significantly more protection. 
After strong lobbying from the Trust, the UDP was amended to take into consideration and to monitor developments on the edges of the
Stress Areas.

WESTMINSTER WAY-public realm strategy. Design principles and practice. Supplementary Planning Document December 2009.

Local Development Framework (LDF)

• Core Strategy. Adopted by the City Council January 2011. The Trust made written responses to the City Council and appeared before the Planning in 2010 to give evidence on a number of important matters related to the core area of St James’s.
The establishment of historic St James’s as a Special Policy Area (SPA) in January 2011 resulted from the Trust’s work in making an architectural case and is included in the Core Strategy. The SPA gives special planning protection to the private members clubs, the art galleries and the specialist shops.

• City Management Plan, Consultation draft January 2011. The Trust responded to 28 of the 59 sections or chapters of this document and it is of note that the St James’s SPA will receive the same planning protection for A3 uses as already exists in the adjacent West End Stress Area.

METROPOLITAN POLICE

The Trust established  good working relationships with:

• The Mayfair & St. James’s Safer Neighbourhood Team
• The Westminster Police Licensing Team

Mayfair & St James’s Safer Neighbourhood Team
Mr John Beveridge QC was the founder chairman of the Safer Neighbourhood Panel and handed over to Mrs Virginia Chichester
in 2010.

THE TRUST IS MEMBER OF:

The Civic Voice;  www:civicvoice.org.uk
Europa Nostra: www.europanostra.org

THE TRUST HAS CLOSE LINKS WITH:

The Westminster Society
The Residents’ Society of Mayfair & St. James’s www.rsmsj.com
The Soho Society www.thesohosociety.org.uk
English Heritage www.english-heritage.org.uk
St James’s Square Trust www.stjamessquare.co.uk
Thorney Island Society ( incorporating the Friends of The Green Park and the Friends of St James’s Park) www.thethorneyislandsociety.co.uk
The St James’s Church, Piccadilly www.st-james-piccadilly.org
Jermyn Street Association www.jermynstreet.net

The Trust receives active personal and financial support from a  number of leading residents and businesses within the area, which support is at the heart of the Trust’s work.