Westminster City Council is set to revamp its housing term partnership contracts, placing a greater emphasis on resident satisfaction, service quality, and value for money.
The Housing and Regeneration Policy and Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday to scrutinise the proposed approach to the re-procurement of key functions within the Housing Service, such as major works, and consider the impact for service delivery. The recommissioning of Term Partnering Contracts (TPC) that expire in 2027 is a vital part of implementing a new model that prioritises resident satisfaction, service quality, and value for money.
The council aims to redesign the service model to put residents at the centre of service delivery, with stronger resident engagement, accountability mechanisms, and opportunities for residents to be involved with the governance process. The end of the current Term Partnering Contracts provides a critical opportunity to redesign the service model to put residents at the centre of service delivery, with stronger resident engagement, accountability mechanisms and opportunities for residents to be involved with the governance process.
The proposed Strategic Alliance Framework and contract delivery model represents a transformative approach to service delivery, placing resident experience, sustainability, and collaboration at its core. The council hopes to implement a Framework Alliance Contract (FAC-1) as a strategic framework which all new contracts will operate under. The proposed model has been presented to the resident procurement working group who provided constructive feedback and were positive about the proposed approach.
Westminster City Council is also working to improve public spaces, including St Mary's Playground and Paddington Green, as part of the Paddington Place Plan (PPP). The primary focus is on how to balance the different and often competing user views and needs for all Paddington Place Plan (PPP) projects including for St Mary's Playground and Paddington Green, reflecting on how feedback from engagement is considered and how sensitivities are to be navigated when progressing with design and delivery of the schemes.
The Paddington Place Plan is an evolving plan for the Paddington area led by the council's Place Shaping team, aiming to deliver on the Paddington Opportunity Area and North-West Economic Development Area (NWEDA) policies as set out in the City Plan 2019-2040. A key aspect of the PPP is a public realm strategy focused on improving, managing, and enhancing public spaces.
The committee's input would be beneficial on how to best balance stakeholder views to build consensus in the development of the design for the St Mary's Playground project and Paddington Green. Main points for consideration include:
- How engagement inputs are considered in design development.
- How different user needs and views can be balanced for the benefit of the scheme.
- Considering the above, how best to manage sensitivities when developing designs.
Various challenges have been identified in the Paddington Green and St Mary's Churchyard area which require close consideration through design development. There have been notable safety issues in the Paddington Green area. Between 2019 and 2023, three gang-related murders occurred at this location during the daytime along with several cases of anti-social behaviour. In response, the council proposals seek to improve natural surveillance, visibility and pedestrian comfort.
All the locations sit within the Paddington Green Conservation Area, therefore any intervention proposed must be considerate to cultural and heritage aspects. Furthermore, St Mary's Churchyard is consecrated ground, so a specific approval through the Church of England Diocese is required.