Housing is residents' fastest-growing concern. The Council’s own City Survey shows 53% now want the Council to prioritise housing availability, quality and affordability, a jump of 17 percentage points in a single year. One in five residents say the cost of housing is so high that it could force them to leave Westminster altogether. We have always sought to run housing services for the benefit of all, whether tenants or leaseholders. Under our previous administration, we started major housebuilding projects that Labour has been slow to complete. We will get delivery back on track.
Housing Those Who Serve Westminster
Westminster is facing a housing crisis for the people who keep our city running. Teachers, health professionals and police officers are being priced out of the neighbourhoods they serve. The shared ownership income threshold in London stands at £90,000, unchanged since 2016, meaning two teachers on mid-career salaries can already be shut out of the scheme it was designed for. The intermediate rent threshold sits at £75,000. Both are overdue for review.
We will champion more intermediate and key worker housing, push for these thresholds to be updated to reflect the real cost of living in London, and use our planning powers to prioritise delivery. We will fight to ensure that the people who serve Westminster can afford to live here.
A Community-Based Repairs Guarantee
We will put in place a clear repair guarantee for urgent and emergency problems, so residents know what to expect and who is responsible. We will move steadily towards stable, locally accountable contractor relationships with performance published openly. Progress will be judged by outcomes: repairs done properly, on time and with respect.
Accessible Repairs and Housing Services
Digital tools for those who find them useful. Strengthened telephone, call-centre and in-person options for those who prefer direct contact. No one forced to use digital platforms. What counts is a problem reported becoming a problem solved.
Local Contractors and a Trusted Trader Approach
We will develop a Trusted Trader approach for approved local SME contractors. Resident feedback and performance outcome shapes which contractors stay. Good performers are trusted; poor performers are replaced.
Pimlico District Heating (PDHU)
The Pimlico District Heating Undertaking heats over 3,000 homes, 50 business premises and several schools, but it is costly and increasingly unreliable. Labour’s replacement plan would lock residents into another district heating scheme with unacceptable costs. We will scrap Labour’s approach, assess each building on its own merits and set out a credible, costed plan that prioritises value for money, improves reliability and reduces emissions through practical options such as electric combi boilers and air source heat pumps, backed by proper consultation with the residents and businesses who depend on it.
Local Power by Choice, Not Compulsion
Residents who want a greater role in how their estate is run will be supported through modern, council-backed resident management, and scrutiny arrangements.
We will improve transparency around service charges, major works and decision-making. Early engagement. Clear communication. A commitment to getting it right, even where legacy issues take time.
Resident-Led Scrutiny
We will introduce resident-led scrutiny at estate and housing-patch levels, formally linked to the Council's Policy and Scrutiny system. Residents will help assess performance, challenge persistent failures and escalate concerns.
Independent Advice for Major Decisions
When residents face major works, regeneration proposals, high service-charge liabilities or potential decanting, we will ensure access to independent legal and professional advice, separate from politicians and officers.
Responsibility That Runs Both Ways
The Council must meet its housing duties, but residents have responsibilities to their neighbours. We will take a balanced approach that tackles antisocial behaviour firmly while providing targeted support for those who need it. We will get housing officers out of their offices and onto our estates, so they see residents' concerns for themselves rather than waiting to be told.
Regeneration That Works for Communities
Regeneration must benefit existing residents. Where costs rise or the scope changes, proposals will be reconsidered collaboratively. Change delivered with neighbourhoods, not imposed on them.
Five Core Standards for Temporary Accommodation
We will work towards ensuring that all residents in temporary accommodation have access to five core standards: somewhere to cook, access to laundry facilities, secure storage for belongings, access to Wi-Fi and clear, accessible information about their accommodation and rights. We recognise that long-term contracts and funding pressures shape what can be delivered and when. Our commitment is to work towards these standards in a structured and sustainable way.
Our pledge: More homes for those who serve Westminster. A repairs guarantee. Trusted local contractors. Resident-led scrutiny. Independent advice. Five Core Standards in temporary accommodation. Regeneration with communities.
Safe Streets. Clean City. Real Action.
Your vote on 7 May is the difference between a Labour Council that takes you for granted, or a Conservative Council that will deliver value for money, safe streets and a clean city.
Only the Conservatives can beat Labour in Westminster.
Vote Conservative on Thursday, 7 May.