Organisation

Westminster City Council

55 stories · discussed at 8 council meetings · 3 councils

Westminster City Council is addressing a significant budget gap and overspend while reviewing licensing applications and its overall licensing policy.

Westminster City Council faces a projected budget deficit of £161 million by 2030, with an £8.2 million overspend in the 2025/26 financial year, primarily due to temporary accommodation costs. The council's Cabinet discussed the 2025/26 financial outturn and approved medium-term financial planning in July 2026, while the capital programme was reprofiled due to a £132.5 million underspend.

The council is currently reviewing several licensing applications, including a Leicester Square McDonald's request for a 5am licence, which Westminster City Council's Licensing Authority objects to. A decision is pending for DILA's licence application, heard in March 2026, while the Licensing Sub-Committee suspended Food Works' licence in March 2026 due to serious crime concerns. A significant overhaul of the council's licensing policy is slated for re-publication by October 2026.

In March 2026, the Cabinet adopted a new housing strategy for 2026-2031 and approved a five-year extension to its additional licensing scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation. The Cabinet also approved £250,000 for 20 new zebra crossings in Bayswater and a £411,931 upgrade for St John's Wood Primary School.

Key facts

  1. Westminster City Council's Licensing Authority objects to a Leicester Square McDonald's request for a 5am licence. Source
  2. Westminster City Council faces a projected budget deficit of £161 million by 2030. Source
  3. The council reported an £8.2 million overspend for the 2025/26 financial year. Source
  4. Its capital programme was reprofiled due to a £132.5 million underspend in 2025/26. Source
  5. The Cabinet approved a five-year extension to its additional licensing scheme for HMOs in March 2026. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 6

  1. Belgravia Forum Opposes Chester Street Basement Plan Westminster Council's Planning Sub-Committee has addressed concerns from the Belgravia Forum regarding a proposed basement excavation at 12 Chester Street. The forum voiced... Westminster 26 July 2025
  2. Westminster Council Appoints Director of Commercial Partnerships Westminster Council's Appointments Sub-Committee convened on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, to appoint a Director of Commercial Partnerships. Westminster 22 July 2025
  3. Westminster Builds Profits Down Due to Service Charge Increase Westminster Builds, the housing investment arm of Westminster City Council, has reported a lower-than-expected operating profit due to higher service charges, according to a... Westminster 21 July 2025
  4. Westminster Community Homes Misses Resident Satisfaction Targets, Reports Operating Deficit, and Implements New Strategies Westminster Community Homes (WCH) has fallen short of resident satisfaction targets, according to a performance review presented at the Shareholder Committee meeting on 17 July... Westminster 21 July 2025
  5. Westminster Council Overspends by £13.6M, Offset by Reserves; Approves Capital Program Reprofiling Westminster Council's Cabinet has acknowledged a £13.6 million overspend in the General Fund for the 2024/25 financial year, but has assured residents that reserves will cover... Westminster 20 July 2025
  6. Westminster Extends Leisure Contract with Everyone Active, Adopts Agency Model for VAT Recovery Westminster City Council has extended its leisure contract with Everyone Active for three years, ensuring the continuation of leisure services until June 2029. The council... Westminster 20 July 2025
  7. Westminster to Acquire Property for Temporary Accommodation Westminster City Council is set to purchase a newly constructed freehold building in the HA0 area to provide temporary accommodation for those in need, as part of a broader... Westminster 20 July 2025
  8. South Kensington Step-Free Access Bid Gains Momentum Kensington and Chelsea Council is intensifying its efforts to secure step-free access at South Kensington station, a move aimed at benefiting hundreds of thousands of potential... Kensington and Chelsea 20 July 2025