A little over a year ago, I began a focused programme of engagement with West End businesses to understand their vision for the future of the West End and how we, as their Business Improvement District, could work together to achieve it.
We held hundreds of meetings, with businesses spanning retail, leisure and hospitality, property, and – reflecting the changing mix of the district – office owners and occupiers. A shared vision for the West End emerged: a thriving, competitive and future-ready destination, embodying opportunity for all who work, visit and invest here.
Just days before Christmas, West End businesses decisively voted yes to our bold plan to deliver that vision, unlocking a package of £60 million in direct investment.
The package comes at a pivotal moment of challenge and opportunity for the area. Ring-fenced local investment has never been more important. Over the next five years, New West End Company will strategically invest £60 million into the district, driving growth, investment and attracting talent and visitors.
In partnership with local stakeholders, including the Mayor of London, Westminster City Council, and the Metropolitan Police Service, we will secure the West End’s future as one of the world’s most dynamic destinations.
Our commitment to the local business community is clear. We’ll guarantee the core services and experiences which matter most, including London’s largest on-street private security team, and our world-renowned Christmas lighting schemes.
We’ll invest more in proprietary data, enabling our members to access real-time data on West End performance, and upgrade systems which support rapid intelligence sharing between businesses and the Metropolitan Police Service.
A new loyalty programme, West End Clubhouse, will bring our office community closer to the incredible retail, leisure and hospitality offer on their doorstep. And we’ll continue to work closely with the Mayor of London on his ambitious proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street. With a position on the Board of the Oxford Street Development Corporation, we will be the voice of local businesses as major decisions are taken.
All these priorities have been shaped in direct dialogue with businesses, ensuring they have a say in how the £60 million is invested. This is important, particularly when the national economic outlook is lacklustre. Here in the West End, as in other locations, businesses are facing rising operating costs, and policy issues like business rates reform, and potential introduction of an Overnight Visitor Levy loom large.
Against this backdrop, our package of £60 million investment is ringfenced for local priorities, securing a stronger, safer West End for businesses, workers and visitors alike. It’s undeniable that this investment will have an outsized impact nationally. The West End generates 3% of the UK’s economic output – when it succeeds, the halo effect is felt across the country.
For over two decades, New West End Company has proudly represented the businesses that make the West End thrive, achieving together what no single business or sector could accomplish alone.
A lot has changed in that time, with the West End’s evolution accelerating rapidly in the last five years.
Digital-first brands such as Manière de Voir and Gymshark sit proudly alongside long-established household names. A focus on experiential – the likes of Diptyque’s curated ‘Ephemeral Space’ or Rituals’ first Mind Oasis spa – is boosting dwell time, which is now nearly 40% higher than it was in 2019. Retail and leisure and F&B are increasingly intertwined; Kith’s first UK flagship also features the founder’s first restaurant, whilst long-time West End resident Ralph Lauren has announced plans to import its famous Polo Bar to the area in 2028.
The opening of the Elizabeth Line, with stations at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street, has also made the West End more accessible than ever, including for our growing office community. And with direct links from Heathrow, and a plethora of 5-star hotels a stone’s throw away from the shopping thoroughfares, international visitors don’t even have to leave the district once they arrive.
Throughout this evolution, partnership has remained key. Since New West End Company was established, we have worked with three Mayors of London, five leaders of Westminster City Council, and five Metropolitan Police Commissioners, maintaining constructive relationships with all.
Of course, a lot has remained the same. Iconic British brands like Selfridges, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Claridge’s and Liberty have had a presence here for a combined total of over 700 years. Every year, it’s the Oxford Street lights that kickstart the capital’s festive season. And our businesses continue to share many of the same priorities: a clean, safe, well-managed environment that attracts visitors, talent and investment.
As the West End’s Business Improvement District, our job is to support businesses through change, be an authoritative and influential voice on their behalf, and deliver on a bold collective vision for the district’s future. Working in partnership with the business community, and key local stakeholders across local and national government, positive change is not just possible, it’s inevitable.
With a fresh five-year mandate now secured, we can move forward with certainty and confidence, focused squarely on delivery. One thing is clear: the Future is West End.
Dee Corsi is chief executive of New West End Company
