Shape
HOLBA will shape a resilient, sustainable & investable district that values the role culture & commerce play in its success.
Achievements
Much was achieved and progress made over the last five years, including:
Secured an additional £4.7M to deliver transformational public space improvements on St Martin’s Lane
Reduced carbon emissions by up to 22% from buildings which participated in the Business Climate Challenge
Successfully made the case for – and delivered – alfresco dining on key streets including St Martin’s Lane during the pandemic, saving many businesses from collapse
Successfully lobbied for a £1.57B package to save the arts and culture sector during the pandemic
Actively backed the campaign to keep English National Opera at its home on St Martin’s Lane
Published the West End’s first Evening and Night-time Strategy and Action Plan, with over 70 actions to drive the area’s full potential.
SWOT summary
The summary SWOT analysis highlights that St Martin's District is an exceptionally rich cultural, architectural, historic, and culinary place in which to spend time and do business. However, it faces several challenges and threats. To read the full SWOT analysis, visit the main menu HOLBA area SWOT section.
- The St Martin’s iconic vistas, landmarks, rich and varied fabric, layers of history and architecture all contribute to attracting 22M visitors a year. It is a world-famous arts and cultural destination with unparalleled theatres, English National Opera, restaurants and bars enhancing its renowned evening and night-time experience.
- The area is only 30 minutes from Heathrow, with the Elizabeth line potentially increasing footfall in the area in the coming years. The area’s nearest Underground station Leicester Square brings 31M people a year to the area.
- The current offer and occupier mix is not keeping pace with the latest consumer trends for cultural and experiential leisure activities.
- The district has many agents and public bodies responsible for its management and maintenance. The consequence of this is frequent duplication or gaps in services and resources, as well as conflicting priorities and timescales. The tangible impact is visible across the streets.
- The considerable opportunities to shape the district include attracting and retaining the pre- and post-theatre and galleries audiences by activating its side streets and courts with new cultural and experience offers.
- Designating the West End as a special policy area will allow venues to stay open later and a more diverse range of venues to flourish, thereby extending the appeal of the West End to new customers.
- Charing Cross Road and St Martin’s Lane can be transformed into safer, sustainable and more attractive places to walk, cycle or dwell, which would attract additional footfall, create new jobs and increase the district’s Gross Value Added.
- Expanding retrofit services would build on the success of the Business Climate Challenge programme.
- The district faces significant threats including climate change, changing consumer tastes, the growth of competitor visitor destinations (for tourism and investment) and competition to secure investment in public realm.
- The evening and night-time economy is at risk due to the rise of rival destinations, loss of club venues, lack of live music venues and restrictive licensing policies, which all limit the West End economy’s potential and enjoyment for workers and visitors.
- Over 70% of the district’s commercial buildings need to improve their energy efficiency or risk becoming unlettable by 2027 when minimum energy standards are tightened. This figure increases to 90% of all the district’s commercial buildings in 2030 when minimum energy standards are further tightened. The impact of these changes could be damaging if left unaddressed.
Delivery plan
Over the next five years HOLBA will focus on:
- Transforming the public realm
- Sustainability & net zero
- Evening & night-time economy
- Economic development
Transforming the public realm
HOLBA will create public spaces and routes that reflect the district’s historic character, enhance the quality of its proposition and epitomise its world-class status.
The placeshaping programme of 44 projects will deliver growth of 14% in employment and Gross Value Added by 122% by 2040. Without these projects, growth would be restricted to 5% employment and 104% Gross Value Added.
The Placeshaping Strategy sets out to:
- Provide high-quality public spaces
- Enhance gateways
- Improve side streets
- Reduce traffic
- Create opportunities for spectacle
- Promote uses which can animate upper levels of buildings
- Strengthen night-time experiences through varied and complementary uses
There are two public realm projects that will be prioritised over the next five years:
St Martin’s Lane
HOLBA has secured £4.7M to transform St Martin’s Lane into a pedestrian-priority, tree-lined street. It will include footways expanded to twice their current width, more planting and trees, reduced on-street parking and a level carriageway. This will greatly enhance the visitor experience and elevate its status as the home to English National Opera, the Noël Coward Theatre and the Duke of York’s Theatre.
Charing Cross Road
With the Elizabeth line now at full service, improvements to Charing Cross Road are more vital than ever before. Charing Cross Road is a neglected part of the West End, suffering poor air quality and an unacceptably high collision rate. The proposed scheme for Charing Cross Road will make this key north-south corridor safer, greener and more attractive for cyclists and pedestrians.
We have set out plans and the business case for Charing Cross Road to become a tree-lined boulevard with widened footways, more places for pedestrians to cross, safer routes for cyclists and a new public space.
HOLBA will advocate for the improvements to this significant thoroughfare and will work with aligned organisations, including BusinessLDN who are also advocating for these improvements.
Discover more detail about the Placeshaping Strategy and programme.
Sustainability & net zero
HOLBA will proactively respond to climate change and wider environmental challenges, working with partners including Westminster City Council, the Mayor of London and other Business Improvement Districts to deliver a Net Zero Carbon City.
Over the next five years HOLBA will:
- Deliver a Net Zero toolkit including audits, discounted waste and recycling services and circular economy solutions.
- Provide net zero carbon route maps to support members to achieve carbon reduction across all three scope types.
- Expand retrofit services through the HOLBA’s one-stop shop, which includes free energy assessments and energy efficiency grants to members.
- Deliver the West End Net Zero Carbon Strategy and Action Plan, which will help businesses, not-for-profit organisations and institutions to retrofit older buildings, decarbonise supply chains, shift to zero-emissions deliveries, reduce waste and increase recycling, contributing to the Mayor of London’s net zero carbon target by 2030 and recycling rate of 65%.
- Engage St Martin's BID members in the HOLBA Sustainability Member Engagement Group, which is a source of support, advice, collaboration and funding opportunities for organisations.
- Promote circular economy principles and inclusivity, such as the donation of digital devices to the London Device Bank.
- Seek new tree and other planting scheme opportunities across the district; create rain gardens to make the area more climate-resilient; and support biodiversity as part of our public realm schemes.
- Promote the waste and recycling preferred supplier scheme, with discounted prices for members and free education programmes, saving members money.
Discover more detail about the Net Zero Strategy.
Evening & nighttime economy
The West End offers memorable and unparalleled evening and night-time experiences. However, the sector has stagnated, and its future is at threat.
HOLBA's Evening and Night-time Strategy and Action Plan, published in 2023, was the first-of-its-kind for the West End. It provides an ambitious, comprehensive and deliverable plan for the West End between the hours of 6pm and 6am. It sets out how the area can meet its full potential and become more safe, accessible and attractive for everyone.
Over the next five years HOLBA will:
- Encourage a positive planning policy framework to protect and enhance evening and night-time venues and businesses.
- Make the case for better public transport provision to ensure that the evening and night-time economy can access both the workforce and visitors it needs to succeed.
- Seek to diversify and expand the West End’s offer to make it more inclusive while attracting new audiences.
Discover more detail on the Evening & night-time economy.
Economic development
The St Martin’s District will continue to face stiff international and regional competition from other destinations to attract visitors, occupiers and inward investment. Future trends analysis will be harnessed to deliver a coordinated programme to promote St Martin’s District as an attractive place to invest in property, a desirable location for office-based businesses and to provide cultural and educational experiences.
Over the next five years HOLBA will:
- Actively seek and promote increased inward investment into the district, stimulating economic activity and safeguarding the area's future.
- Develop and promote a compelling narrative for the St Martin’s District as a place to invest and do business, utilising commissioned economic reports.
- Amplify awareness of the success and future opportunities within the St Martin’s District.
- Engage with utility companies to ensure reliable and ultra-fast broadband for the district.