Why Detailed Audits Matter in Westminster and the City of London?

Projects in Westminster and the City of London face growing planning and sustainability requirements, including:

• Local plans and supplementary planning guidance that prioritise circular economy and material reuse.
• The Greater London Authority’s Circular Economy Statement requirements and whole-life-carbon policy (London Plan SI 7 / SI 2).
• Emerging “Retrofit First” expectations to retain, reuse or recycle building materials rather than simply demolish.

By commissioning a PDA early (e.g., at RIBA Stage 1–2), your project is better placed to meet these policy requirements and unlock reuse value for materials that might otherwise go to waste.

Reuse & Passport Specific Targets

For the first time, Westminster has proposed quantified Circular Economy targets. These are framed as suggested targets, not mandatory requirements, but they signal a strong policy direction toward standardised measurement and reporting:

• 25% of materials (by mass or value) identified in the Pre-deconstruction Audit to be reused (on or off-site)
• 50% of materials (by mass or value) to be assigned digital material passports

Westminster Circularity Metric

Draft Policy 43 introduces a Deconstruction Circularity Metric, applying percentage scores to different material outcomes. This sequential approach provides a consistent way of evaluating circularity outcomes across major schemes:

• Retained in situ (100% circularity)
• Recovered for reuse (90%)
• Recycled as equivalent product (50%)
• Recycled as downgraded product (20%)
• Landfill or energy recovery (0%)

Pre- and Post-Deconstruction Audits

• Pre-Deconstruction Audit (before any works commence)
• Post-Deconstruction Audit (after works have been completed)