Westminster is one of the world’s most recognisable places: a city at the heart of London, of national government, and of the UK’s cultural and civic identity. Covering 8.29 square miles, it is home to internationally recognised landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the West End and the Royal Parks. Alongside these are the distinctive and historic neighbourhoods of Pimlico, Maida Vale, Marylebone, Queen’s Park, Soho, Bayswater and Belgravia, each with its own character, community life and sense of place. The city welcomes around 25 million visitors a year and records a daily average of 545,000 tourist trips, 436,000 shopping trips and 380,000 terminus-related journeys.
Westminster is an international centre for professional, scientific and technical services, as well as hospitality, retail, and public administration, and its theatres, galleries, restaurants, retail districts, public spaces and night-time economy make it a place of national significance, but the city is also home to a diverse, fast-moving and richly varied local community. It is a place of pride and opportunity, but also of contrast, with marked differences in wealth, housing, health and opportunity between neighbourhoods. That makes the work of the council especially important: bringing together residents, businesses, partners and communities to ensure Westminster remains a fair, inclusive, sustainable and successful city for everyone.
Westminster City Council has a proud civic history in the heart of the capital. The modern council was formed in 1965, when the former boroughs of Westminster, St Marylebone and Paddington were brought together to create today’s City of Westminster. The council serves a population of around 211,000 residents, alongside more than 53,000 businesses providing approximately 789,000 jobs, and a daily population that can rise to more than one million as commuters, visitors and workers come into the city.
Recent data shows strong levels of resident confidence:
The council is focused on placing residents at the heart of decision-making, building inclusive and effective services, supporting thriving neighbourhoods, and creating a city where people from all backgrounds feel welcome and able to succeed. For a Director of People and Culture, this is an opportunity to help shape an ambitious, values-led organisation that is committed to being an employer of choice, with a welcoming and accessible workplace, six staff networks, and a clear focus on equality, inclusion and organisational excellence.