On Wednesday 22 May, in the spectacular 12th Knot Rooftop Bar at Sea Containers London, South Bank Business Improvement District (BID) welcomed around 120 representatives from the South Bank business community to officially launch South Bank BID’s 2019-2024 Business Plan and renewal campaign.
Guest speakers included our host, Sergio Leandro, General Manager of Sea Containers London, who highlighted the unique “diversity, creativity, energy” of South Bank, Mathieu Proust, UK and Ireland General Manager of WeWork, who outlined how grateful they were to be part of the business community as they prepared to welcome 6,000 members to their new South Bank building and Kirsty McHugh, Chief Executive of the Mayor’s Fund for London, who in a passionate speech noted: “it’s a no brainer for a levy payer to vote for the BID – what South Bank BID has achieved is incredible, you are collectively a power for good. The BID is good for wider society and it’s something South Bank cannot afford to lose”. Mayor of Lambeth and levy payer Cllr Ibrahim Dogus also shared his support via Twitter, praising “the positive impact the BID has had on South Bank, helping to build a safer, more inclusive and dynamic area, where local businesses can thrive”.
Since it was created in 2014, South Bank BID has made a significant difference to South Bank, providing security (South Bank Patrol and dedicated Metropolitan Police officers), public realm enhancement (refuse collection, graffiti removal, jet washing), destination marketing (www.southbanklondon.com marketing channels and major events like Lumiere London) and business support services (STAR Card discounts, free training programmes, lobbying to deliver hardship funds to mitigate rising business rates).
If the ballot is successful, the new Business Plan commits to continuing all of this work, but to also deliver bolder, more ambitious programmes in the context of an exciting period of growth and change. This includes:
a recruitment and skills proposition in partnership with businesses, education partners and the community to align local talent and skills
investing in electric vehicles and freight consolidation programmes to improve air quality and reduce congestion
increasing security by bringing a dedicated British Transport Police officer into Waterloo Station alongside the retained current security investment and creating a new Construction Coordinator role to ensure major developments are effectively managed to minimise impact for our levy payers.
All of the BID’s work is built around our vision of “a world-class South Bank for everyone”; a more prosperous and successful place for our businesses, employees, clients, visitors and residents.
