A roadmap to the safe and full reopening of London’s economy

This London roadmap sets out a three-phase approach to support London’s economic recovery over a 12 month period and during transition out of the Coronavirus pandemic as we emerge from restrictions. Its aims are the safe and full reopening of London’s economy, to rebuild consumer confidence and to enable our retail, hospitality, cultural, leisure and tourism sectors to get back to business. It seeks to put in place the building blocks for longer term recovery, so jobs are protected, London maintains its competitive global position and the harm done to many communities is minimised. It links and responds to the Government Roadmap, which provides a four-step roadmap to easing restrictions across England.

The London roadmap, developed by the London COVID Business Forum, sets out key actions for partners across London and actions for national government. It draws on engagement with businesses through the London Transition Board and elsewhere and proposes four overarching issues which are common across the phases. Due to the ever-evolving nature of the pandemic, this document is iterative and is subject to revision as circumstances change.

Overarching themes

There are four themes underpinning many of the points in the plan:

1. Communications: the need for a clear communications plan which builds public, consumer and business confidence, with a single London-wide message informed by engagement with business. Crucial to this is adequate notice from national government of changes to restrictions, recognising these may need to be reimposed as infections rates change.
2. Public Health: the need for an effective test, trace and isolate system that quickly identifies those who are infected and gives confidence to those not infected to go about their lives. Work with business and boroughs on the rapid rollout of mass testing and the vaccination programme with the working age population. In addition, work with employers on keeping workplaces safe and supporting worker wellbeing.
3. Business support: ongoing business support that is broad enough in scope to ensure viable businesses can continue to operate and are well positioned to benefit from recovery are well positioned to benefit from recovery and the maximum number of jobs are protected.
4. Licensing, planning and enforcement: ensure that vacant units and the public realm can be used to support businesses, and that proportionate enforcement is backed up by timely guidance to councils and businesses.

For London

• Continued engagement with businesses on planning for both escalation and de-escalation of restrictions. (GLA/PHE) (CLOSED)
• A clear and simple articulation of the risks and issues for London of the different scenarios for handling the pandemic and the impact on London’s economy. (GLA/PHE) (CLOSED)
• Continue to engage with government on the need for clear guidance on the approach and thresholds for decision making as England progresses through the different steps set out in the Roadmap with an emphasis on advance notice to enable businesses to plan. (GLA) (CLOSED)
• Clear communications and messaging relating to changes to restrictions and improved coordination across London agencies for sharing these messages. (GLA)(CLOSED)
• A multi-agency plan on the use of public realm and outside space to facilitate alfresco dining and socially distanced shopping on London’s high streets, with support from the High Streets Coordination Group coordinated by the GLA. (Pan London High Street Coordination Group/SCG Delivery Coordination Group) (CLOSED)
• Delivery of the vaccine programme as quickly as possible, engaging with business groups on progress and how they can support. Employers can help by building trust in the vaccine, providing factual information, encouraging and supporting employees to respond to vaccine invitations and attend vaccine appointments. (NHS London)
• Effective and efficient rollout of rapid testing, including extension of testing to businesses; ensuring close partnership with regional and local authorities, as well as adequate resources to deliver. (NHS) (CLOSED)
• Support London’s voluntary sector and explore the need to secure additional financial support though the London Community Response Fund, which will help community and voluntary organisations who have been badly affected by the impact of COVID-19. (SCG Community and Voluntary Sector Subgroup/GLA) (CLOSED)
• Continue to safeguard cultural infrastructure through the Culture at Risk Office and expand the model to include support for safeguarding social and civic infrastructure. (GLA)(CLOSED)
• Support ‘shop local’ approaches and messaging whilst under higher levels of restrictions and encourage people to shop and dine in central London when public health guidance supports non-essential travel. (GLA/London Councils) (CLOSED)
• Maintain visible town centre security, including policing, as funding and support from Business Improvement Districts for these services is cut as a result of financial pressures. (MOPAC)(CLOSED)
• Assistance to local businesses to recover, grow and innovate, including through the London Business Hub, Mayor’s Pay it Forward London scheme, Back to Business Fund, and Technology Adoption Service. (GLA) ongoing to support recovery
• Support local businesses with administration and deployment of the various business grants announced since November. (London Councils) (CLOSED)
• Continue to create more space for people to safely walk, cycle, and use other forms of active travel, as part of TfL’s Streetspace for London programme. (TfL) (CLOSED)
• Keep London’s small business community informed of the latest restrictions and support available through the London Business Hub, and support London’s creative and cultural industries through the Culture at Risk Office. (GLA) (CLOSED)
• Target the Adult Education Budget (AEB) and £11m COVID-19 Response Fund at vulnerable Londoners and ensure flexible support is available to help unemployed Londoners get back to work. (GLA) (CLOSED)
• London & Partners to work with GLA, London government, VisitBritain and Business Improvement Districts, businesses and boroughs, to plan and allocate investment to market and reactivate the Central Activity Zone to help London’s economy to recover. (CLOSED)
• Plan for promoting London nationally and internationally over the New Year period in the absence of the usual seasonal activities and events. (CLOSED)

For national government

• Invest in the recovery of London’s Central Activities Zone, at least match funding the Mayor’s £5m investment in initiatives to encourage Londoners and tourists from around the UK back into central London, when it is safe to do so. 25 per cent of the UK economic output comes from London and it contributed a net £38.7 billion to the Treasury before COVID. New analysis shows that, in the worst-case scenario, up to 97 per cent of the economic output of West End’s historic culture scene could be lost.
• Statutory Sick Pay to be increased and for Government to provide direct support so workers receive full pay where possible.
• Removal of the requirement to bill for the Late Night Levy.
• Reverse the policy of ending the ‘tax-free shopping’ Retail Export Scheme.
• A plan to ensure businesses have access to affordable working capital in the longer term, recognising that many businesses have taken on large amounts of debt during the pandemic.
• Provide additional business grant funding and ensure that it is distributed fairly; reflecting the number of businesses mandated to close within a local authority area, as opposed to the recent Additional Restrictions Grant, that was on a per capita basis.
• Urgently review the self-employed support scheme to close the gaps within it.
• Support for businesses to maintain and adapt ventilation systems to decrease potential airborne transmission of COVID-19.
• Expand grant funding provision to those small businesses that continue to be excluded. (CLOSED)
• Additional resource provided nationally and locally for SME advice and support.
• Extra investment into employment support for people at risk of redundancy and vulnerable Londoners with complex needs. (CLOSED)
• Fast-track the government’s plan for setting up a single enforcement body, with the powers and resources needed to act as an effective defender of people’s rights at work.
• Better funding of the enforcement system for health and safety violations, with proactive inspections and clear reporting routes, designed to meet the needs of workers during the pandemic. (CLOSED)
• Issue guidance for employers on fair redundancy processes in the light of COVID-19, with reference to how to treat fairly those workers who have been furloughed or shielding. (CLOSED)
• Extend the reduced 5 per cent VAT rate for hospitality, holiday accommodation and attractions, currently due to end on 31 March 2021. (CLOSED)
• No return to the hospitality curfew. (CLOSED)
• A data-led route map for managing the pandemic, avoiding rapid changes in restrictions and with greater transparency of decision-making. (CLOSED)
• Support trials of new safety measures for nightlife, culture and sporting events, so they can resume at higher audience capacity. (CLOSED)
• Support businesses unable to meet rent commitments due to the pandemic, by extending the current protections from business evictions ending in March 2021 and providing an aid package to help landlords and tenants whose viability is at risk. (CLOSED)
• Appoint an HMT Minister for Reopening the Economy to oversee the process, similar to the current post of Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment. (CLOSED)
• Agree to an additional bank holiday in September 2021, as proposed by industry organisations such as the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. (CLOSED)
• Face coverings should be made mandatory in busy outdoor public spaces. (CLOSED)
• Urgently reinstate the Job Retention Bonus, which many small businesses were relying upon to remain viable. (CLOSED)
• Confirm an extension to the business rates holiday for retail, leisure, childcare, culture and hospitality businesses, commensurate with length of COVID restrictions. (CLOSED)
• Confirm a short-term extension of no change to employer contributions to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. (CLOSED)

For London

• Encourage business and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to deliver a programme of ‘as-safe-as-possible’ high-profile events to mark London’s reactivation. (GLA, Boroughs) (CLOSED)
• Continue to publish real-time information showing COVID-19 status throughout London on the London Datastore and support data sharing. (GLA) (CLOSED)
• Ongoing financial support and advice to SMEs at both Borough and city-wide level, including a focus on mental health advice for business owners and staff. (GLA/London Councils) (CLOSED)
• Deploy clear public health messages for employers on keeping workplaces safe and supporting worker wellbeing, including mental health. (PHE/GLA) (CLOSED)
• Support London’s Private, Voluntary and Independent early years providers through the London Business Hub. Develop evidence-based recommendations on effective activities to increase parental demand, recognising that childcare and early years provision are crucial for London’s social and economic recovery. (GLA) Online business hub and early years consultancy. (CLOSED)
• Provide ongoing support for businesses to navigate the new rules for businesses and trade associated with the UK’s exit from the EU that came into force on 1 January 2021. (GLA) (CLOSED)
• As new testing methods come on stream, work with London’s businesses to ensure the best possible take up and adoption. Explore the possibility of rapid testing at events and workplaces recognising the need for fairness and access based on need. (PHE/ COVID Business Forum). (CLOSED)
• Ensure local and national employment support schemes are coordinated and of high quality, overseen by a partnership between Department for Work and Pensions, London Councils and sub-regional partnerships in London. (GLA, Boroughs, Sub-regional partnerships and Jobcentre Plus)
• Alongside DHUCL, continue to support infrastructure projects in London that will fuel local recovery, create jobs and support local businesses, such as Dagenham Film Studios and 3 Mills Studies in the Thames Estuary Production Corridor, the Good Growth Accelerator, and improving digital connectivity in outer London. (GLA)
• Support small businesses in sectors hit the hardest to enable digitisation, adaptation and diversification. Help London’s SMEs to thrive in the new ‘normal’ and adapt to the accelerated pace of change, such as through the Mayor’s Back to Business Fund, London Technology Adoption Service and London Resilience Fund. (GLA) (CLOSED – winners announced London Resilience Fund on 13 July)
• Explore opportunities to enable local communities to deliver projects to support recovery. (Recovery Board) (CLOSED – Building Strong Communities Recovery Mission launched Festival of Ideas 28 June)
• Further encourage low emission transport, including promoting the expansion of the cycling network, ‘traffic free’ days and safe walking in daylight and after dark. (TfL/London’s boroughs)
• Alongside Westminster Council and others, explore the upgrade of Oxford Street district, including transformational schemes at Marble Arch and Oxford Circus, and seek to secure sustainable long-term funding for TfL to enable it to progress major schemes of this type. (London Borough/business partners)
• Deliver a call-to-action to business to develop innovative technology solutions that enable Londoners to make informed decisions, personal risk assessments and possibly increase confidence. (CLOSED - Launched as part of London Resilience Fund on 23 February)
• Put in place a plan to support London's freelancers who have been severely impacted by the pandemic, including a Freelancers taskforce that can develop policy options and advocacy to inform the response to the pandemic and recovery. (CLOSED)
• A consumer confidence campaign aimed at reassuring consumers they can safely return to the high streets within any remaining social distancing restrictions. (CLOSED)

For national government

• Reopen international travel by creating a real green list for fully vaccinated passengers and a transparent approach to recategorising high risk countries underpinned by a high quality testing service. (CLOSED)
• Sector-specific support for the aviation industry and its supply chains with a Communities Fund to support communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic, such as those close to major transport hubs.
• Provide a longer-term sustainable funding settlement for Transport for London. Devolve more control to London government over key taxes so it can meet more of the transport network’s costs itself.
• Alongside BEIS, explore advice and guidelines for the safe reopening of live performance venues and office spaces. (CLOSED)
• Sector-specific support for industries and areas hit hardest by the pandemic that will not recover quickly from relaxation of restrictions.
• Review business support with the aim of ensuring the London Business Hub and borough advice services have the appropriate level of funding in place to meet the needs of local businesses.
• Ensure that London gets a fair opportunity to access £220m UKSPF pilot funds in 2021-22 and the follow on £4bn Levelling Up fund, with assessment that recognises the full impact of the pandemic on London’s sectors and local economies (GLA) (CLOSED)

Our short-term recovery activity both supports and links to the grand challenge of the city’s longer-term Recovery programme, led by the Recovery Board: Restore confidence in the city, minimise the impact on London’s most vulnerable communities and rebuild the city’s economy and society.

For London

• Alongside promotional activity to maintain London’s preeminent global position, communication and campaign activity focused on reactivating London’s tourism industry and encouraging communication activity with partners across London hosting reactivation events. Alongside Government, see the return of major sporting events. (L&P/GLA)
• An inclusive London that recognises the city’s diversity and the need for a more equal society. A policy focus on supporting those hit hardest by the pandemic including BAME Londoners and other groups facing deep-rooted inequalities. (Recovery Board)
• Maximise London’s environmental ambitions for the COP21 and to support economic recovery. (Recovery Board)
• Resources to enable an innovation-led recovery helping all businesses to benefit from future growth opportunities. (Recovery Board)
• Ensure London’s future global competitiveness by understanding and preparing for the long-term impacts of the pandemic on the central London economy, including through commissioning new research to understand the emerging trends. (GLA)
• Ensure the opening of the Elizabeth Line as soon as possible and at as low as possible cost, including by finalising the transition of Crossrail Ltd into TfL for the final stages of the project. (TfL)
• Deliver enhanced public spaces and exciting new uses for underused high street buildings in every Borough by 2025, working with London’s diverse communities through the High Streets for All Recovery mission. (Boroughs/GLA)
• Work with national government on a UK wide tourism campaign ensuring London’s unique position and circumstances are recognised in its development. (L&P)
• Implement the nine missions of the London wide Recovery programme:
  • A Green New Deal - Tackling the climate and ecological emergencies and improve air quality by doubling the size of London's green economy by 2030 to accelerate job creation for all
  • A Robust Safety Net - By 2025, every Londoner is able to access the support they need to prevent financial hardship
  • High Streets for All - Deliver enhanced public spaces and exciting new uses for underused high street buildings in every Borough by 2025, working with London’s diverse communities
  • A New Deal for Young People - By 2024 all young people in need are entitled to a personal mentor and all young Londoners have access to quality local youth activities
  • Helping Londoners into Good Work - Support Londoners into good jobs with a focus on sectors key to London’s recovery
  • Mental Health and Wellbeing - By 2025 London will have a quarter of a million wellbeing ambassadors, supporting Londoners where they live, work and play
  • Digital Access for All - Every Londoner to have access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025
  • Healthy Food, Healthy Weight - By 2025 every Londoner lives in a healthy food neighbourhood
  • Building Strong Communities - By 2025, all Londoners will have access to a community hub ensuring they can volunteer, get support and build strong community networks.

For national government

• Fund investment opportunities to help promote an economic stimulus, including bringing forward existing plans, encouraging the private sector and utilities to take the same approach. This could include areas such as flood defences and green retrofitting of homes as well as specific London investment opportunities that will help drive recovery in other parts of the country.
• Play its role in completing a nationally significant piece of new infrastructure, Crossrail, both by finalising the funding agreement that is currently being negotiated and through any additional funding needed beyond that to ensure its success.
• A devolved multi-year, single funding settlement to:
  • support London’s economic restructuring and recovery (be it from the anticipated UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Local Growth Fund or other funding streams)
  • support integrated skills, work and education systems. New powers and a doubling of London’s AEB budget so that we can help meet the growing demand of Londoners needing support to retrain.
• Business support reviewed and devolved to enable reactivation and response locally to the changing nature of the recovery.
• Government to ensure that any new investment for adult skills through the Lifetime Skills Guarantee is administered through London’s devolved arrangements.