The Case for the The West End is the most dynamic and diverse city centre in the world, with a huge capacity to rapidly generate economic growth and jobs, which benefits the UK as a whole. But without investment in its public spaces, transport and other infrastructure, investors will become attracted to better business environments elsewhere, putting the West End’s current and future prosperity at risk. By retaining 6.5% — rather than 4% — of local business rates and reinvesting that additional sum into the West End, co-finance can be attracted from the private sector to create £12.3 billion in additional economic output (GVA), and £3.8 billion additional taxes for the Exchequer. The West End is at the heart of the economic and cultural life of the UK. It is the country’s shop window, front of house, meeting place, summit host and headquarters. What happens next in the West End will be a signal of how well the UK is responding to the profound economic challenges ahead.

The Case for the West End 2 August 2016 The Case for the West End

The West End is a success story highly skilled workforce also generated £10.9 billion in Income Tax . This small area of only 6.3 hectares already accommodates some 120,000 businesses and During a typical day, around a million people 650,000 employees working in the most diverse commute into or visit West End shops, offices, range of sectors to be found in any world city. theatres, restaurants, art galleries, museums and monuments. The neighbourhoods throughout The agglomeration of businesses trading between Westminster and Camden – , , each other and clustered in the West End makes this St James’s, Chinatown, Covent Garden, , and a unique and special place. The West End competes Bloomsbury – are all synonymous with and integral to the internationally rather than with other UK cities. It heritage of Britain. The West End ‘brand’ is critical to the is the only place in the country, arguably the world, to economic success of the UK economy. It accommodates combine excellence in such a range of sectors covering the main attractions for the 17.5m international visitors finance, retail, health, arts, media, advertising, law, who came to the capital last year, spending a record £11.8 engineering, architecture, entertainment, education, billion on visits that often started in the West End and diplomacy and a fast growing tech sector. The spill-over moved on to every part of the country. effects are wide-reaching. Skills learned and honed by individuals and businesses here have spread to cities The opening of the Elizabeth Line station exits in across the UK and the world. Demand which originates 2018 at Bond Street and and in the West End can be traced through supply chains tube upgrades bring the prospect of many thousands leading to all corners of the country. Its infrastructure more people coming into the core West End area and transport needs generate demand for steel, buses, every day, just 30 months from now. Crossrail 2 in trains, and even electric vehicle production across the 2033 will further open up the area to the wider South UK. Through the West End’s world-class higher education East region. These major transport investments offer campuses,1 millions of people around the country and the huge opportunities for further growth and change in world will consequently get to know and become attached the West End. However, more and better quality jobs, to London and the UK for the rest of their lives. development and investment will not be realised unless the wider urban fabric of the West End is fit for purpose. The West End is where value is generated, resulting in prosperity that is distributed nationally. The West End produced £51 billion of economic output (Gross Added Value) in 2014, £3 billion more than the City of London. GVA per hour worked (Inner London West) is 48% higher than the UK average. The area provides more business taxes for the Exchequer than any other in the UK – some £17 billion annually. For example, in Westminster and the (the two local authority areas covering the West End), some £1 billion in Stamp Duty Land Tax, £2.16 billion in Corporation Tax and £3 billion in VAT was collected last year, most of which came directly from the West End economy. This area’s large and

1 The West End Campuses: London School of Economics, University College London, University of Westminster, King’s College London, Courtauld Institute, London School of Fashion, University of London, SOAS, Royal Academy of Music, Birbeck and London Business School, plus satellite teaching centres of universities from around the world

The Case for the West End August 2016 3 The West End’s future growth and retailers have severely marked down the West End is heavily constrained in world rankings because of its poor physical fabric, compared with other leading world cities. Without a clear The ability of the West End to continue supporting signal of confidence in its future and a funding strategy, economic growth, fiscal gains and the UK's cultural the West End will inevitably slip down the pecking order capital is becoming increasingly constrained. Its for the new private sector investment. The West End acts success is creating problems that may jeopardise not as a barometer of national performance. If flagship stores only future success, but also current prosperity. Heavy and headquarters disappear from the West End, they are footfall is taking a toll on its narrow and crumbling not likely to survive anywhere else in the UK. streets, while side streets remain blocked off and underused. Its roads are clogged with excessive traffic, Meanwhile, major cities around the world pushing air pollution beyond internationally agreed are investing heavily in their urban fabric and limits and resulting in fatal accidents. Its broadband, infrastructure, and these cities will ultimately telecommunications and electricity infrastructure are compete directly with the West End for investment not able to serve existing or future business needs. Its and visitors. Paris is spending €2 billion on its Champs property stock faces a near-zero void rate soon, creating Élysées district. New York City is re-zoning East Midtown. a shortage of commercial space for the huge number This is enabling significant densification which will of small and medium-sized firms that have traditionally increase and enhance the area’s office stock, while the started life here, many of them before expanding $20 billion renewal of Hudson Yards is providing new nationally or globally. amenities, public open space and high quality office space in West Midtown. Hong Kong is rapidly converting In the West End many corporate and institutional industrial land in order to create a high quality new investments are now on hold, awaiting a coherent CBD in Kowloon East. Many European cities including and funded plan backed by leadership in London Amsterdam, Dublin and Zurich are moving ahead with and Central Government. There is an urgent need public realm and other infrastructure improvements to to secure public investment in the public realm and in generate more capacity. local infrastructure systems, in order to prevent private investment choosing alternative locations outside the UK. A recent report by Savills shows that property owners

2 T he West End vs World Cities – comparative analysis by Professor Greg Clark/The Business of Cities

The Case for the West End 4 August 2016 A new equation is needed to support There is a public-private partnership that exists the West End’s future, for the benefit working to transform the West End. The West End of the UK as a whole Partnership came together to create a shared vision for the West End, delivering a set of transformative projects Public investment in the local drivers of growth to 2030. This vision aims to make the West End the best is required now in order to lever investment from place to work, visit and live in the world. The partners the private sector. On the back of the West End are committed to co-financing and supporting a £1 Partnership investment programme, over 2m square billion West End programme and are gearing up the metres of additional commercial floorspace has been mechanisms in order to deliver it. But they are unable to identified3 which could be made available in the West do so without core funding of £409 million to kick-start End. This additional capacity would be capable of these key projects. accommodating just over 100,000 additional jobs The partners therefore call on the Government to to support London’s growing population. re-invest a small proportion of the £1.8 billion of The intensification of economic use makes this business rates collected by , area one of the most efficient places to achieve by increasing local retention of rates from 4% to just development anywhere in the UK. The track record 6.5%. Such a mechanism will enable Westminster to of the West End is good. For example, The Crown Estate’s borrow sufficient funds to finance the entire programme, rejuvenation of Regent Street over the past decade which in effect requires finance and interest of around has led to the street achieving double the employment £40 million a year. Over the 15-year period this financing numbers and business activity compared with mechanism will in turn generate £12.3 billion (NPV) in neighbouring – a productivity formula additional GVA to the economy and £3.8 billion in tax that Oxford Street businesses and the West End and revenues. Partnership are now seeking to emulate, but with the There will also be a ‘quality of life dividend’ from added challenge of working with multiple landowners these measures both for the West End and London as and occupiers. By investing in the quality of these places a whole, due to cleaner air, safer and greener streets, and the local infrastructure and services that support access to new skills and jobs, making more space for these commercial districts, intensification of land use start-up enterprises and creating an environment which becomes possible, accelerating the rate of growth as will encourage arts and culture. Fewer externalities and well as the value generated for the Exchequer. The more amenities will result in very visible results for the private sector will not fund and deliver changes on its people who live here, work here and visit the West End own and without investment the market will remain every day. locked in a status quo – constrained by fragmented landowner interests, over-crowding, unmet demand The West End is not just for Londoners. It generates and and severely restricted capacity. supports jobs for thousands of people across the UK. The West End’s taxes support infrastructure investment and public services across the UK. The area is an icon in the national consciousness – it belongs to the nation as a whole. The West End is where we can proudly tell the world that the UK is competitive, forward-looking, ready for change, and most of all, confident about the future. £409m £3.8bn re-invested now = additional tax raised over 15 years 3 W est End Floorspace Capacity – Study by Volterra Economics and Gerald Eve for West End Partnership

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The West End.

The West End Partnership brings together senior public service and private sector leaders, academic experts and resident representatives.

It was created to be the catalyst and mechanism to enable the West End to accommodate growth, whilst at the same time strengthen its unique cultural character, amenity and openness.

The West End Partnership coordinates and initiates action and delivery in response to this growth with new policies, plans and actions which benefit residents, communities, businesses and visitors alike. www.westendpartnership.london [email protected]

Issue 2 August 2016