Today, 78% of businesses, retailers, hotels and restaurants from Marble Arch and northern Park Lane, throughout Connaught Village and Seymour Place and up Edgware Road to the Marylebone Flyover, voted Marble Arch Business Improvement District to lead on a new programme for the area that will see £2.5m invested over five years.
Throughout February, Westminster City Council ran a formal ballot for businesses to submit their votes for the launch of the new BID, with 60% of businesses across the area choosing to vote With the strong majority voting in favour, reaching 88% when rateable values of each of the 128 voters is considered, Marble Arch Business Improvement District is now the eighth BID in Westminster, and will work with the council, the Mayor of London’s office and Transport for London to drive a better future for businesses and locals in this thriving area.
Marble Arch BID will work to harness investment into the area and bring businesses across the area together to deliver public realm improvements, reduce levels of anti-social behaviour and introduce new visitor and business services. The BID aims to improve the trading conditions and make the area more successful for all businesses, as well as benefitting local schools and communities. The five year package will commence on 1 April 2016.
Martin Ramskill, Chairman, Marble Arch BID, says, “Marble Arch’s heritage and appeal internationally and locally deserves to be matched by high quality public realm standards, place-making and business and visitor services. We want to improve the environment and experience for residents, workers and visitors, and are thrilled to see our plans so strongly supported by local businesses, Westminster City Council and our partners.”
Kay Buxton, Executive Director, Marble Arch BID, says, “The footprint of the BID includes 42 streets across the East and West of Edgware Road. Whilst the streets combine to create a wonderful area to live, work and visit, the arterial status of Edgware Road has left it struggling to keep up with the pace of change and quality of public realm improvements seen elsewhere in the West End. The BID will make significant improvements to future-proof the whole area.”
Councillor Daniel Astaire, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration, Economic Development and Business, Westminster City Council, says, “We are delighted by the great outcome of the Marble Arch BID. The area plays an important role as the gateway into London’s West End and the work we will now do collaboratively through the BID will enable improvements to be made to the physical and trading environment which will benefit the whole community.”
Sir Edward Lister, Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor for Planning, said: “This decision will be a great boost for the Marble Arch area, brilliantly positioned between Oxford Street, Marylebone and Mayfair, and Bayswater and Hyde Park. I am sure that this Business Improvement District will enhance this critical area of West End for residents, workers and visitors and help Marble Arch to become an even stronger driver of the capital’s economy.”
Kate Bailey, M&S Edgware Road store manager, says, “We’re delighted that the Marble Arch BID has been voted for by the local community. The plans will help local businesses provide a better environment for customers and we’re looking forward to supporting them as they progress”.
As the doorstep to the West End’s world-leading retail and over 350 acres of Royal Park, the BID area is the London home for hundreds of businesses and thousands of tourists staying in the area’s 3000 hotel rooms.
The area contains every sector of business – a significant international hotel presence from the Hilton London Metropole and The Cumberland Hotel to the London Marriott Marble Arch and Park Lane and The Montcalm London Marble Arch, several big and long established offices including Equifax, Omnicom and British Land, bustling middle-eastern restaurants such as Maroush, schools such as the famous Sylvia Young Theatre School, as well as well-known retail brands Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Argos and a strong independent sector. The area is most recognised by the landmark Marble Arch, which was built by Royal Commission for Buckingham Palace and then moved and reinstated by Thomas Cubitt, great, great, great Grandfather to Camilla Parker Bowles, in 1847.
Ramesh Arora, Managing Director, The Montcalm London, says, “Marble Arch BID will help the area reach its full potential as a key gateway for visitors from around the world to London. The streets around Marble Arch are often the first impression of London that a visitor has, so whether they are here for business or pleasure we want to work with all local businesses to make that impression the best.”
Sylvia Young, Founder of Sylvia Young Theatre School, says, “Our priority is to make sure our over 200 students have a safe place to learn and let their creative skills shine. Marble Arch BID will nurture the area’s community with services that will benefit our students and staff, and furthermore put us on the map to drive appeal from across London and beyond.”
Amanda Feeny, Chair of the Harrowby and District Residents’ Association, says, “The Marble Arch area is one of the most desirable places in London to live but improvements are needed to safeguard its future. The BID’s plans for cleaner streets and enhanced safety will aid the community, and seasonal festivities throughout the year will give the area a new sense of life to prosper.”
Steve Taylor, Director, Equifax, says, “Our Marble Arch office houses over 100 employees and the location in which we house them is very important to staff satisfaction. We supported the launch of Marble Arch BID because it is an intelligent way ahead for this part of London, to make sure it remains abreast of the best thinking for urban areas and provides the services needed for a thriving business hub.”
Mr Abbas Hasan, CEO Habibsons Bank Ltd, says, “Superior hospitality is the hallmark of our culture and together with Marble Arch BID, we can continue this tradition within the vibrant area of Marble Arch. The successful outcome of the BID means we are united in our role of bringing together and servicing the local community, encouraging these traditions to be celebrated and making it an even better place for residents and visitors.”
Securing the best future for the area: first year ambitions
Improving the local environment
- Management Plan: Develop a management plan for the space around Marble Arch, in collaboration with Westminster City Council, TfL and English Heritage
- Pedestrian Footprint: Work with TfL to improve pedestrian access routes and safety at crossings on Edgware Road and Marble Arch with more pedestrian phases and countdown signals
- Public Art: Work with TfL to deliver a lighting and public art scheme below the Marylebone Flyover
- Cycle Parking: Identify opportunities to provide additional cycle parking in the area and assist the development and implementation of Westminster City Council and TfL promoted cycle routes
- Clean Air: Work with neighbouring BIDs on innovative pilot schemes to tackle air quality
Reducing anti-social behaviour
- Night-life Safety: Introduce a night-time uniformed presence to regularly patrol the area, reassuring visitors and assisting local shops, hotels, cafes and restaurants in dealing with incidents
- Begging: Target aggressive begging and reduce its impact on local businesses and visitors
- Waste: Crack down on environmental problems, reporting and tracking incidents of fly-tipping and waste that impact on business operations
- Intelligence: Work with business security teams, Westminster City Council and the Police to gather intelligence for co-ordinated action on anti-social activity, whilst working with neighbouring BIDs to avoid displacement to other areas
A better place for business
- Guest Services: Work with local business’ concierge teams to develop a guest services programme
- Delivery Services: Seek statutory funding to trial delivery service plans in an effort to reduce congestion and emissions on local roads
- Contingency Plans: Assist businesses with the development of contingency and resilience plans
- Benchmarking: Baseline footfall and pedestrian movement, with day and night time research undertaken to set the benchmark for the BID’s performance for the retail and restaurant sectors
- Local Network: Establish a joint training and networking programme for businesses
- Lobbying: Lobby TfL, the Police and Westminster City Council to give the area greater priority
A better visitor experience
- Ambassador Welcome: Introduce a team of street ambassadors for enhanced stewardship
- Seasonal Celebrations: Develop a programme of events to animate public spaces including the installation of festive lights on Edgware Road for Christmas 2016 and beyond
- Guides and Trails: Produce an eating out guide to showcase the food quarter within the BID area and launch guided and self-guided local heritage trails
- Loyalty Scheme: Introduce a local loyalty scheme for offers in restaurants, shops, health and beauty
- Opening the Arch: Explore options to enhance the visitor experience at Marble Arch itself, working with English Heritage, Transport for London and Westminster City Council