Category Archives: BID

About Business Improvement Districts

Will a vision for future Fleet Street help counter WFH?

At yesterday’s Farringdon Within Ward public meeting City Corporation Member Eamonn Mullally helpfully handed out the latest report from Fleet Street Quarter, the local Business Improvement District. It has a clear and inspiring vision for the future, if you take a property perspective, which is its focus. The report “reveals how a ground-breaking development pipeline read more »

The new City Neighbourhood Forum is a good idea. If …

Proposals for the City’s first neighbourhood forum are a good idea – but residents outside Barbican and Golden Lane Estates need to have influence too.

Barbican and Golden Lane Estates propose City’s first neighbourhood forum

Residents on the two major estates in the north west of the City have made the bold move of proposing a forum with powers to develop its own plan for the neighbourhood.

Resident engagement with Destination City and the new BID – official advice

In January I attended a City-wide Residents meeting with the City Corporation, and asked the chair of policy Chris Hayward how we could best engage with developments planned in the north west cultural district of the Square Mile. Here’s the exchange. The Destination City programme is taking over much of the work of the Culture read more »

Business Improvement District approved for City’s main residential district: here’s some issues

As expected, businesses in the north west of the City of London have voted to establish a Business Improvement District, and will pay a levy that is expected to generate £9 million over the next five years. The Culture Mile BID website says: “Driven by the private sector, the Culture Mile BID will go live read more »

City Corporation stands down its Culture Mile team and offers public realm designs to business

Update1 : I’ve located a recording of the City residents meeting on January 11 where policy chair Chris Hayward promised more consultation in future with residents on changes in Culture Mile. I’ve added more on that below and here. Update2: following committee discussion on January 23 it is clearer that the offer to the Business read more »

Can Destination City also help create a Liveable City?

I originally drafted this piece for a column in the EC1 Echo, but space is tight this time and we’ll revisit in print in the New Year. Meanwhile there’s discussion on Twitter about the cost and focus of the Destination City programme, and future use of the Museum of London site. The Culture Mile Business read more »

Culture Mile changes as Destination City sets out plans

For the past five years Culture Mile has been a programme of activities and projects in the north west of the City, a way of branding the area, and a team coordinating development. Some of that is changing, but quite how much won’t be clear for a few months. City Corporation committees have now approved read more »

Community forum in the City’s Culture Mile set for approval

Update: The City’s Policy and Resources committee approved proposals for the CultureMile BID on October 20, with little discussion. Several members pressed for clear methods for resident involvement. Guidance was that this would be through steering groups. There was no specific mention of a community forum. Video of the committee discussion here. Proposals for a read more »

New visitor guide and films for Culture Mile demonstrate BID promotion plans

Update: the Culture Mile website is no longer online, following approval of the Business Improvement District. However you can still find the Explore page through the Internet Archive. Visitors to the City’s north west cultural district now have a guide to venues, heritage sites, entertainment and shopping on the Culture Mile website. The guide is read more »