Business to Boris: working from home will leave London abandoned

Business improvement districts representing more than 200,000 employees across the capital have warned prime minister Boris Johnson that the government’s guidance to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic “puts at risk London’s future attractiveness and global competitiveness”. Ruth Duston, strategic director for the Midtown BID and chief executive of the South Westminster Business Alliance, which draws together the Northbank, Victoria and Victoria Westminster BIDs, has published a letter to Johnson outlining steps the government can take to prevent economic damage from its latest guidance. Last week the government introduced fresh measures aimed at slowing the spread of the Covid-19 virus, including advising people to work from home and enforcing a 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants. “The new guidance encouraging people to work from home where they can is a damaging blow to the capital’s fragile recovery, with London already lagging behind the rest of the country,” Duston wrote. “The guidance effectively urges workers to abandon the centre of the city for the next six months.” Office occupiers in the parts of London covered by the BIDs include PwC, WPP and Google. Duston continued: “Cities will be more adversely impacted by these measures; cities like London rely on the ecology and adjacency of business to survive – the corporate offices, retailers, leisure venues, cultural and hospitality operators rely upon having a successful symbiotic relationship… “The collapse of this ecosystem and the subsequent prolonged lack of footfall will result in many terminal casualties, leading inevitably to redundancies and a long-term loss of vibrancy.” Duston outlined five steps that BIDs want the government to take to protect London’s companies and its economy, offering “a lifeline to many businesses across the capital”. First, greater flexibility to allow employers to bring staff back into Covid-safe workplaces. Second, more financial support for hospitality, culture and leisure companies. “The recently announced Winter Economy Plan from the chancellor, while welcome, is not sufficient for central London,” Duston wrote. “With the lack of footfall, many normally thriving businesses will struggle to operate at all so, regrettably, the Job Support Scheme does not provide the solution.” Third, greater clarity on the legal and insurance positions of companies that choose to invite staff back into the workplace. Fourth, stronger enforcement of mask wearing and social distancing, as well as what Duston called “a concerted campaign to provide reassurance to workers/visitors to the city”. Finally, a commitment to reviewing measures regularly throughout the coming six months, and at least once a month. “We are keen to work with you to develop a pilot for London, trailing new ways of working and living with Covid-19,” Duston wrote. “In due course, these ideas could be rolled out to other major cities across the UK, who are all suffering.” She added: “We ask you please, as the former mayor of London, to back London now so that London can back the UK.” To send feedback, e-mail tim.burke@egi.co.uk or tweet @_tim_burke or @estatesgazette Photo by Shutterstock