Strand Resurfacing: Enabling works starting Friday 25th February

Westminster City Council has commissioned its service provider, FM Conway Limited, to resurface the Strand (between Savoy Street and Charing Cross Station) and Adam Street Carriageways. This work will be undertaken in late March (starting 28th March) and finishing in early April (ends 7th April); formal notification of the resurfacing programme of works will be distributed in mid-March to affected businesses and residents.

The resurfacing will be undertaken in seven (No.7) separate phases, three eastbound (on 28th, 29th and 30th March), three westbound (on 4th, 5th and 6th April) and Adam Street; which will be resurfaced on Sunday 3rd April. When resurfacing the eastbound carriageway, the westbound carriageway will remain open to traffic; and vice versa.

The FM Conway team will be working extended hours to complete sections in one day; with works expected to continue into the late evening. During each phase there will be no vehicle access or egress allowed within area being resurfaced; these are between:

Eastbound Phases –

1.     Duncannon Street to Agar Street on Monday 28th March

2.     Agar Street to Lumley Court on Tuesday 29th March; and,

3.     Lumley Court to Burleigh Street (includes the junction mouth) on Wednesday 30th March

* Thursday 31st March is a reserve day should there be bad weather or should unknown issues arise.

4.     Adam Street will be resurfaced overnight between 18:00pm and 05:00am on Sunday 3rd April.

Westbound Phases –

5.     Savoy Street (includes mouth of junction) to Adam Street on Monday 4th April

6.     Adam Street to just beyond George Court on Tuesday 5th April; and,

7.     George Court to Trafalgar Square on Wednesday 6th April; this includes resurfacing in front of Charing Cross Station where only emergency vehicle access and egress under “blue lights” will be available during the day.

Thursday 7th April is also a reserve day.

During the directional closures of the carriageway TfL Surface Network Buses will be on diversion.

Pedestrian access to businesses will not be affected by the resurfacing; however, there will be closures of pedestrian crossings during each phase and alternative, safe crossing points will be available.

Once the resurfacing is completed, we will then strengthen all drain and utility covers in both carriageways; this will be done during the working day under localised lane closures (not full closure of the carriageway).

Works will be noisy at times for which FM Conway do apologise in advance.

In the meantime, some enabling works started on 25th February. This is to realign kerb stones and small areas of paving that have been damaged by vehicles. Nearby businesses have been notified of these works.

Should you want to find out more about these works and how they may affect you, please do contact Bob Burton, the FM Conway Public Liaison Officer for the Strand Resurfacing Project. Bob can be best contacted by email on robert.burton@fmconway.co.uk

SOCIAL BITE’S FESTIVAL OF KINDNESS IS HERE! We’re on a mission to provide 300,000 gifts, meals, and essential items to homeless and vulnerable people over Christmas and the winter months – and we need your help!

Join us to create a movement of kindness and share festive goodwill with those who need it most.

This year we are growing the kindness movement to three new cities! We have installed 28ft Christmas trees in Edinburgh, London, Glasgow, Aberdeen & Dundee. We are calling these ‘Trees of Kindness’ where you can come and donate a gift for someone homeless or in poverty. The gift wish list ranges from warm clothes to children’s toys to beauty products. We would love you to bring a gift from the list and drop it off with one of our team at the Trees.

Social Bite will then be distributing these across Scotland and the rest of the UK with help from over 100 charity partners to get them to homeless and vulnerable people in time for Christmas. You can see the full gift wish list and drop off times here: https://lnkd.in/g_AwKiv

We would also really appreciate any financial donations that you could make to support our work this winter. As well as gifts and meals, we are partnering with charities in each of the five cities to provide emergency accommodation with support for rough sleepers. You can read more about the campaign and how to get involved here: https://lnkd.in/eUcPaDn

Please SHARE to spread the word & help share kindness to those who need it most this Christmas.

PS our annual itison.com voucher campaign and other amazing partnerships will be coming soon!

See LinkedIn post here

Cycling through our area

At Northbank BID we are looking in to how we can encourage an uptake in cycling within our footprint, to help improve the air we breathe along with everyone’s health & wellbeing.

Health & Wellbeing:

Cycling is a great form of exercise, having excellent benefits for both physical and mental health. Biking to work, or during the working day, has shown to help staff manage stress & anxiety along with improving mental sharpness throughout the working day.  

With millions of working days lost each year through poor mental health, encouraging more people to take up cycling is a key priority.

Air Quality

The air we breathe has a dramatic impact on our health & wellbeing, reducing the number of vehicles on our roads is crucial to improving air quality. Increasing the numbers of people who cycle to work is just one way to help solve this problem.

Poor air quality can also be a barrier for many to start cycling. One way to combat this is to use quieter and less congested streets when cycling. Switching to these cleaner air routes can reduce the amount of pollution exposure by up to 47%. You can find our cleaner air walking routes here

Tips for Business:

Cargo Bikes

Many companies across London, including Addison Lee, Zedify and City Sprint are now offering cargo bike services. If your business wants to create their own fleet of Cargo Bikes they can be purchased from locations such as CarryMe Bikes.

Using Cargo Bikes is a fast, reliable, and sustainable alternative to using motorized vehicles for variety business needs – from commercial couriers to deliveries. A few of the benefits are:

•             Reliable journeys, especially as the cycle network expands

•             No parking restrictions and requires little space for longer-term parking

•             No fuel costs, and minimal maintenance costs passed to the customer

•             Demonstrates responsible business practice with regard to corporate social responsibility

Cycle to Work Schemes

One way for businesses to encourage their employees to take up cycling is through a ‘Cycle to Work Scheme’. There are several available through companies such as CycleScheme and Bike2Work Scheme.

Through these schemes’ employees can enjoy greatly reduced prices on a new bike. Whilst employers will have a happier, healthier and more productive workforce along with savings of up to 13.8% on employer NI contributions.

Cycle Safety:

Whether you are a seasoned cyclist or a new commuter, Cycle Safety should be a top priority before taking to the saddle.

Maintenance

Good bike maintenance is key to ensuring safety on the roads, regularly checking and cleaning your bike means that any problems can be spotted a lot sooner

Always make sure you carry out a simple M-check before any bike journey to spot anything not quite right before you ride

A wealth of knowledge and practical how-to’s are widely available:  Sustrans, Cycling UK and British Cycling all have produced lots of material well worth reading before getting on your bike.

The South Westminster BID’s will be hosting a Cycle Maintenance and Safety Webinar by Sam Parkes, taking place on the 22nd July 2020

Securing Your Bike

Securing your bike well is vital for stopping bike theft. Westminster City Council provide plenty of tips on how to keep your bike safe, a few top tips include:

  • Lock your bike in a public space where there are people, not out of sight. Preferably in sight of a CCTV camera
  • Lock both the wheel and the frame to the bike stand
  • Remove small items like lights or any parts that are ‘quick release’

Bike marking is an excellent deterrent from cycle theft. Through Bike Register you can add your bike details to the National Police Approved database, and then mark & protect your bike with one of their security marking kits.

Creative Spring Challenge

The Northbank BID are inviting all businesses and their families to take part in our “Creative Spring Challenge.” Participants will be asked to either draw or write a poem on something spring related. This could be anything from sketching flowers in their garden to a view they have observed from their living room window. Participants can be as creative as they wish and there are no restrictions on the size of the drawing or length of the poem.

You will have a month to work on your creative works and then simply take a picture and send it over to us at marketing@thenorthbank.london. The BID team will then pick out their favourite picture and poem and the winners of each will win £150 which they can then donate to their favourite charities in the local footprint.

Through this competition Northbank BID are looking to support the amazing work that all six of these charities are continuing deliver throughout the Covid-19 crisis. Homelessness and the issues surrounding it, such as mental health and substance abuse, continues to be huge area of work throughout this crisis. All of these charities are working in their own way to keep rough sleepers safe and off the streets during this crisis.

Please find some information about all six of the charities here

Terms and conditions


And the winners are…

We would like to say congratulations to our two winners; Eirini Papadopoulou & Shiromi Pillai! Both of our winners have chosen make a donation on their behalf to Turning Point and Look Ahead respectively. Congratulations! You can see their entiries below:

Poem entry:

Springing Time

Season of the open heart…

Flowers that bloom in the morning zoom

People fuelled by energy of light,

lifting spirits and feeling bright

Rising love for nature’s glory,

conquering all to shine its flory

Oh Lent!Oh Spring!

….Make good the gifts …this year will bring

Be kind to us and give us hope,

allow this summer to bring us scope

Lets cherish Springs beauty of gifts,

give us life and give us up-lifts

By Eirini Papadopoulou

Drawing entry:

By Shiromi Pillai

Emergency Services Support

We would like to say thank you to Coutts , Proud Embankment,  The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) who have opened their doors within The Northbank area to support all first responders including the Metropolitan police, the Ambulance service and the London Fire Brigade.

Phone charging, beverage dispensary, seating, wifi and bathroom access will be available at set times. 

  • Coutts – Monday – Friday, 07:00 – 19:00 
  • IET- Monday – Friday, 10:15  – 15:45 
  • Proud Embankment – Monday – Friday, 08:00 – 17:00

Working from home

Home Working: Preparing your organisation and staff

With the outbreak of COVID-19, The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have put together a cyber security guide to ensure your staff can manage some of the upcoming cyber security challenges. 

The guide highlights how to prepare to work from home and how to spot the signs of phishing emails. 

To find out more click here

More Information

Little Book of Cyber Scams

Little Book of Phone Scams

Little Leaflet of Cyber Advice

Little Book of Big Scams

Update your malware

Westminster City Council: Cultural Strategy Consultation 2020-24

The council has embarked on a new Cultural Strategy for the next five years to ensure their communities can benefit from Westminster’s world-class cultural and creative activities. With over 2,000 cultural institutions across the borough, the council believes that every single resident should be able to access the valuable local cultural offer.

The Cultural Strategy will form part of the council-wide City for All vision, which sets out the ambition for Westminster to be a ‘city that celebrates its communities’. WCC recognise that when residents take part in cultural activity it transforms:

  • their sense of health and wellbeing, and reduces social isolation
  • their satisfaction with and connectivity to people and place
  • their access to local opportunities, volunteering, skills and employment

Consultation on emerging priorities 

The council is now seeking feedback from all our stakeholders and residents on its emerging priorities for culture, which includes:

  • increased access to culture for all, with a specific focus on reaching residents that encounter physical, social and economic barriers
  • support for health and wellbeing programmes through collaboration with more local cultural partners and deepening relationships with council services (e.g. Families, Public Health, Adult Social Care) and local NHS link workers
  • delivering skills for the future by increasing cultural capital and skills opportunities for young people and improving access to lifelong learning for all
  • ensuring creative placemaking to maintain cultural infrastructure, creative workspaces and resident programmes as integral to planning and regeneration schemes

Read the full draft Cultural Strategy for Westminster Council 2020-24 on WCC’s website.

Let us know your thoughts and suggestions regarding our priorities and how you might partner with WCC by completing an online survey.

All are welcome to attend a Cultural Strategy market stall prior to the council’s next Open Forum event hosted from 3pm on 17 March (location to be confirmed). You will have the opportunity to find out more about their plans for culture in Westminster from council staff.

Next steps

Once WCC has consulted with their residents and stakeholders, the council will use the findings to inform the final strategy and action plan that will show how they intend to deliver their objectives over the next five years. They plan to publish the complete Cultural Strategy 2020-24 in spring 2020.

Have your say on busking: Westminster’s ‘Busking & Street Entertainment Consultation’

Every day the streets across Westminster are brought to life with performances from musicians, magicians, comedians, artists and dancers, who come from all over the world to perform here. 

At the same time, Westminster receives around 1,800 complaints each year about excessive noise or overcrowding caused by busking. Westminster City Council is proposing a new policy that they hope will allow street entertainment to thrive whilst protecting residents and businesses. This will include a licensing scheme in busking hotspots where they receive the most complaints

To read more about the new busking and street entertainment policy, please head to Westminster’s page dedicated new the draft policy here.

Westminster City Council Street Entertainment update December 2020

WCC Policy: This draft policy is based upon the careful consideration of evidence and engagement with buskers and street entertainers, businesses and residents, however we will also monitor the policy throughout its first year of implementation and conduct a full review after 12 months so that it can be adapted based on results and feedback if required.

  • Street Entertainment has an additional chance for feedback by 31st January ahead of coming into effect in Spring 2020
  • A new pitch at Northumberland Ave near Embankment Place has been included
  • Villiers Street has been removed from the consultation.

Find full Draft Policy/Busking Appendix here

To view stakeholder email from Westmisnter City Council click here

Hidden Network

A hand up, rather than a hand out, to help end rough sleeping in Westminster

Rough sleeping is undoubtedly one of the worst scourges of our modern society. How can we, as one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, still have people living on the streets? How can we deliver true ‘good growth’ if we cannot support the most vulnerable in society and ensure that vibrancy and prosperity works for all?

Of course, rough sleeping is a deeply complicated and challenging issue, but the answer is not to see it as someone else’s problem. There is no silver bullet and the long term solution will require multiple parties working together to tackle the problem on several fronts. 

The Hidden Network is a new campaign, pioneered by Westminster Council and supported by the six key homeless charities, and now local businesses too. This week the South Westminster Business Improvement Districts (Northbank, Victoria and Victoria Westminster) proudly hosted an event informing businesses about how they can get behind the campaign. At its heart the Hidden Network offers a safer and more positive way for people to donate money to support homeless services.

Instead of giving money to rough sleepers on the streets, people are being encouraged to donate via contactless machines located in offices, theatres, hotels, railway stations and retailers across Westminster. Often giving money directly to people sleeping rough, while well intended, only serves to entrench vulnerable people in the difficult circumstances they find themselves in. The evidence on this is stark.

The Hidden Network campaign clearly demonstrates the role we all have to play in helping to solve this thorny challenge for London. 

Ruth Duston, OBE, OC

Chief Executive

South Westminster Business Improvement Districts

Volunteering: ACCA join the Northbank for litter picking

ACCA – litter picking in London

“On 10 October, we rolled up our sleeves and got busy picking up litter in Victoria Embankment Gardens, very close to the Adelphi building.  Working in partnership with the Northbank BID (a local initiative supporting our business district), we were joined by 3 members of their team who provided us with the route, gloves and equipment to get the job done!  This initiative gave us the opportunity to give something back to our local community – and most importantly the environment.  The Northbank team were so friendly and we were surprised at how much litter we collected in just a couple of hours.  We would like to say a big thank you to Tom, Carlos and Guillermo for their support – a great experience for the whole team.”

Evergreen Embankment: green wall

This new and vibrant addition to the Northbank enhances the look of the local area, helps to improve air quality and encourages local biodiversity. Lighting also brightens the entry into the West End for visitors and sends commuters home with a sparkle.

The wall includes lighting and the following plants:

  • Bergenia
  • Liriope
  • Lamium/Convolvulus
  • Brunnera/Convolvulus
  • Asplenium
  • Euphorbia
  • Heuchera