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Home E-bulletins London BIDs update Issue 50 November 2009
London BIDs update Issue 50 November 2009 PDF Print E-mail
  • London BIDs Celebration Event Report Summary
  • Transport for London Business Plan 2010-2018
  • The Mayor's Draft Transport Strategy
  • Business Link in London
  • London First Retail Commission Final Report

    • London BIDs Celebration Event Report Summary

    Anthony Browne, Policy Director for Economic Development , GLA (Chair) opened the event and addressed the audience "after almost five years of Business Improvement Districts in Britain, the concept has clearly demonstrated its value".There are 88 BIDs of which 21 are in London and businesses are manifestly seeing the benefits. The concept is well established and well respected, and considerable impact has been evidenced.

    London BIDs in the Regional & National Context

    Dr Julie Grail Partnership Solutions and British BIDs gave an overview on BIDs and led a discussion on the effect the business rates revaluation and Business Rate Supplement (BRS)would have on BIDs.

    The Mayor on BIDs

    Boris Johnson a firm supporter of BIDs,felt they had ‘unleashed a spirit of civic engagement’ and he liked the way that through BIDs, people who care about their environment can make a difference without bureaucracy and ‘red tape’.He encouraged the BID community to share their ideas with the GLA on how to best encourage their further development.

    Industrial BIDS

    Ian Andrews, Founder and Chair of Soloman said there are already six industrial BIDs in London and this is only the tip of the iceberg.The South London Estates Excellence Programme has assisted 3 areas in successfully achieving BID status. It has LDA funding and support.
    Daniel Ratchford, Strategic Director, London Borough of Sutton presented a borough's perspective of the Kimpton BID and David Guyan, Chair, Garratt Business Park BID shared with us the success of Garratt Business Park.
    David Forty, explained that Soloman had a key role in facilitating local authority liaison for the three South London BIDs and said the London BIDs toolkit was very useful in providing templates and guidance.
    Focus on Renewal Ballots
    Richard Dickinson, Chief Executive, New West End Company said that it is critical that there is an evidence base to demonstrate that the first term has delivered benefits and hard ‘return on investment’ data is essential in this.
    Graham McNally, Chief Executive, Kingston Town Centre Management Ltd shared his experience and said  KingstonFirst BID has a board of 23, which may be considered too large, but at campaign time that means 23 champions for spreading the message!

    Please click here to view the full report and the speakers presentations

    Transport for London Business Plan 2010-2018

    The Business Plan sets out how investment in front line services and London’s critical transport projects will be maintained, safeguarding the investment needed to boost the city’s transport capacity, create thousands of new jobs and ensure London’s future competiveness and global position. 2010 will see TfL complete several key projects, each bringing major improvements to passenger services across London. These include:
    • The opening of the new £1.4 billion extension and upgrade of the East London line as part of the London Overground network, bringing Tube-frequency services to South East London.
    • Completion of the upgrade of the Jubilee line bringing a 33 per cent increase in capacity, 5,000 more passengers an hour and a 22 per cent reduction in journey times.
    • Delivery of the Mayor’s new Cycle Hire scheme with 6,000 hire bicycles across 400 central London locations.
    • Completion of the DLR Canning Town to Stratford International extension and the introduction of an extra third carriage on the DLR Bank branch, part of an overall 50 per cent increase in the capacity of the DLR network.

     The Business Plan confirms TfL will continue to focus on:

    • Delivering major upgrades of eight Tube Lines, building Crossrail and the extensions to the DLR and London overground networks.
    • Prepare and secure a legacy for the 2012 Games.
    • Ensure smoother traffic flows and deliver a greener, cleaner new bus fit for 21st century London and raising even more awareness of cycling and walking in London.

    In light of the current financial pressures on TfL, caused by factors including the collapse of Metronet and a recession-linked fall in Tube ridership, the Business Plan also confirms that a continuous search for efficiencies will more than double savings from TfL’s budget to over £5 billion by 2018. Delivery is well underway with, for example, 1,000 back office jobs reduced at London Underground saving £570 million, £400 million to be saved from IT projects and £130 million coming from moving to cheaper offices outside central London.

    The Business Plan can be viewed on TfL’s website: www.tfl.gov.uk/businessplan

     

    The Mayor's Draft Transport Strategy (MTS)

     

    The draft Mayor’s Transport Strategy sets out the Mayor’s vision for transport in London over the next 20 years and describes how Transport for London (TfL) and its partners can deliver that vision. The goals of the draft Strategy are:
    • Supporting economic development and population growth
    • Improving the safety and security of all Londoners
    • Enhancing the quality of life for all Londoners
    • Improving transport opportunities for all Londoners
    • Reducing transport’s contribution to climate change and improving its resilience
    • Supporting delivery of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and it’s legacy.

    The consultation with the public and stakeholders runs until 12 January 2010 and the Mayor hopes that as many Londoners as possible, will take the opportunity to have their say on transport issues in London and how they can help shape London’s future. The draft Mayor’s Transport Strategy and further details of the ‘roadshow’ events are available on the web at www.london.gov.uk/shaping-london

    If you would like to respond, all representations should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by 5pm on 12 January 2010.

     

    Business Link in London

    Business Link offer a free impartial business advice service,available to anyone starting or running a small or medium sized business in the capital.

    Funded by the London Development Agency, Business Link provide high quality and practical information and business advice, connecting you to expert assistance. Working in partnership with business support organisations from the private, voluntary and public sectors to ensure you receive the most suitable support.ere are some of the Key issues raised by London Businesses:

    • London 2012.
    • Winning public sector contracts
    • Social enterprise,Survive and thrive in a recession,help and support during the recession and  Regeneration projects in London.
    • Government support schemes, local support programmes and
    • solutions for businesses.

    Business Link have a number of experienced business advisers on-hand to help you. The London business support services are available online, over the phone and face-to-face with advisers and through a comprehensive programme of business events .

    To speak to someone about your business, call 0845 6000 787 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text56464 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //-->\n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/london

    London First Retail Commission Final Report

    London First established a Retail Commission in May 2009 to investigate and recommend means to achieve the Mayoral objective of retail diversity as set out in the New Plan for London.

    The report is a culmination of conversations with individuals from over 30 organisations, a series of 6 expert roundtables, a seminar attended by 60 private and public sector representatives and 5 in-depth case studies.

    Click here to see final report