Please see below key points for London’s West End which were announced:
COST OF LIVING
- The Speech begun by acknowledging the current economic crisis, with the Prince of Wales announcing that the Government’s priority is to grow and strengthen the economy while easing the cost of living.
BREXIT
- The Government will continue to seize the opportunities of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union to support economic growth. Regulations on businesses will be repealed and reformed.
- A new Brexit Freedoms Bill will enable law inherited from the European Union to be more easily amended.
- Under a new Procurement Bill, public sector procurement will be simplified to provide new opportunities for small businesses.
LEVELLING UP, REGENERATION & TRANSPORT
- A Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill will be brought forward to drive local growth, empowering local leaders to regenerate their areas, and ensuring everyone can share in the United Kingdom’s success.
- The planning system will be reformed to give residents more involvement in local development.
- Government will improve transport across the United Kingdom, delivering safer, cleaner services and enabling more innovation. Legislation will be introduced to modernise rail services and improve reliability for passengers in a Transport Bill.
ENERGY CRISIS
- Government will bring forward an Energy Bill to deliver the transition to cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy, building on the success of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year, where countries across the world set ambitious targets to lower carbon emissions.
SECURITY & CRIME
- Government will pass legislation to give police “powers to make the streets safe”.
- Another bill will be brought forward to further strengthen powers to tackle illicit finance, reduce economic crime and help businesses grow.
- The Public Order Bill will enable police to have more powers with regards to disruptive protests.
WEST END CAMPAIGNS: SUNDAY TRADING
In terms of our key West End advocacy priorities, New West End Company will look for opportunities in the levelling up bill and other deregulation measures to seek the exemption of the two International Centres (the West End and Knightsbridge) from restricted Sunday opening hours to allow us to compete more evenly with our international rival shopping districts.
We estimate that this could generate up to £250 million in net additional sales each year. This increased revenue can be used to benefit less profitable high streets across the country and fund significant manufacturing jobs for some of Britain’s biggest retailers whose goods are made across all regions of the UK.
Chief Executive, Jace Tyrrell commented:
“It is encouraging to see the ongoing commitment from the Government to its levelling-up agenda across the country and to measures to reduce regulations on businesses and promote economic growth.
We welcome the support that the Government has given to retailers across the UK, but we believe it needs to go further by relaxing Sunday Trading Laws in the UK’s two designated International Centres – Knightsbridge and the West End.
“Sunday is now the busiest shopping day across the West End; in fact, New West End Company research estimates that extended shopping hours on a Sunday could generate at least an additional £250 million each year in the district alone. It would also go far in supporting less profitable high streets across the country and fund important manufacturing jobs for some of Britain’s biggest luxury retailers, whose goods are made in other parts of the country.
“At a time when businesses are facing rising operating costs, amending these outdated policies will provide a unique opportunity to realise some of this profit at no additional cost. We urge the Government to consider this cost-free policy to help the high street recover.”
New West End Company
