Here is a summary of the scheduled discussions for the Housing and Regeneration Policy and Scrutiny Committee meeting. The agenda included a review of the committee's work programme, an update on the Pimlico District Heating Undertaking, and a progress report on the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy. Councillors were also scheduled to look at the minutes from the previous meeting.

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy

The committee was scheduled to scrutinise the progress of the council's Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, one year after its launch in April 2025. The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping - HR PS Report outlined Westminster's vision to tackle homelessness through prevention and collaboration, aiming to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. The report noted that Westminster has seen a rise in homelessness applications, more than doubling in three years, and that as of August 2025, over 4,391 households occupy temporary accommodation. The three main causes of homelessness in Westminster were listed as:

• end of private tenancy
• family no longer willing to accommodate
• domestic abuse

The report stated that in 2024/25, 2,612 people were recorded sleeping rough in Westminster, a 24% increase compared with 2023/24, with the largest increase relating to new rough sleepers. The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy set out four commitments: early prevention, crisis response, re-housing and recovery and re-settlement. The committee was scheduled to hear updates on:

• the implementation of a hybrid delivery model for the Housing Solution Service
• the development of homelessness prevention pilots in North Paddington
• the recommissioning programme of supported accommodation pathways
• the newly created Next Generation Scheme in WCC Allocations Scheme

The committee was also scheduled to discuss challenges including:

• limitations of housing land constraining new social housing development
• increasing demand and cost of temporary accommodation
• greater numbers of people presenting to the services with complex and multiple disadvantage needs

The committee was also scheduled to receive presentations from the Centre for Homelessness Impact and Expert Link.

Pimlico District Heating Undertaking

The Housing and Regeneration Policy and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to discuss the progress of shortlisting technological solutions for the Pimlico District Heating Undertaking (PDHU) network. The HR PS Committee Report - PDHU stated that the PDHU supplies heat to over 3,100 homes across Abbots Manor, Churchill Gardens, Lillington and Longmore and Russell House, as well as over 30 commercial premises, three schools and a post office. The report noted that the PDHU pipework is decades beyond its original design life, leading to leaks and expensive repairs. The report summarised the technological option ranking process for the future of heating and hot water for buildings connected to the PDHU, and provided an overview of the Interim Outline Business Case (OBC) assessment, and the techno-economic model (TEM). The report stated that 13 longlisted options had been assessed, and that four options had been identified to be taken through to full OBC and developed in more detail. The four options were:

• Do minimum (pipework replacement)
• Centralised River Source Heat Pump with Gas Boilers in Churchill Gardens
• Centralised River Source Heat Pump with Electric Boilers in Churchill Gardens
• Cory Mobile Heat Batteries (MHB)

The committee was invited to scrutinise the rationale for the emerging recommendation of options, the potential to include a direct electric option in the analysis for comparison purposes and provide feedback on whether the methodology captures the most appropriate balance between technical feasibility, value for money, and resident affordability. The committee was also invited to review and comment on the resident engagement activity to date.

Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review and approve its work programme for forthcoming meetings. The HR Work Programme Report asked the Housing and Regeneration Policy and Scrutiny Committee to discuss topics of interest for the next municipal year's work programme in 2025/26. The report included the committee's terms of reference, which state that the committee is responsible for policy and scrutiny activity relating to:

• Housing services and policies
• Reducing rough sleeping
• Housing regeneration schemes
• Housing delivery and provision in the private and other sectors, and policies which enable this
• Place-shaping schemes including Oxford Street
• Any other matter intended to build housing, deliver housing services to residents and tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

The report also included a recommendation and action tracker, inviting members to review the work undertaken in response to previous recommendations and actions. The Housing Regeneration PS Work Programme 2025-26 listed the allocated items for the December 2025 and February 2026 meetings, as well as unallocated items for future meetings.