From the sign-off by the London Assembly of the Mayoral Development Corporation for Oxford Street to the launch of the public consultation on Westminster City Council and The Crown Estate’s plans for Regent Street, Haymarket and Piccadilly Circus, these critical developments will scale the impact of the West End and open up new opportunities for business, culture and community to flourish. We have been closely involved in these milestones, working hard on your behalf to shape decisions and guide proposals – as seen with the workshops we facilitated for the Greater London Authority about Oxford Street’s transformation, and our participation in Westminster City Council and The Crown Estate’s consultation.

We are pleased to have launched our renewed campaign to reinstate tax-free shopping, in partnership with Heathrow, Cadogan, and the Knightsbridge Partnership. If you’d like to hear more about it, make sure to contact our Head of Corporate Communications and External Affairs, Lorna Keegan, at [email protected].

We remain focussed on crime and its impact on our members. At a strategic stakeholder roundtable with Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes earlier this month, I was able to share our views on the next stage of ‘A New Met for London’ – the Metropolitan Police Service’s long-term plan for reform.

Our security team also worked closely with both with the Metropolitan Police and the Greater London Authority to coordinate a targeted week of activity to spotlight and advance the incredible work happening in our district to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

And finally, through our work with High Streets UK, we’ve been championing the success of the West End and our partner high streets across the country. I met with Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Kevin Hollinrake; Liberal Democrat MP for St Albans, Daisy Cooper; and Conservative MP for Stockton West, Matt Vickers to share more about our initiatives and discuss ways in which the Government can work with the business community, from business rates reform to police funding.

Looking ahead, preparations are under way for the unveiling of our proposed Business Plan for 2026-2031, as well as of our refreshed brand. I look forward to seeing many of you at the launch event in September. It will be a chance to look back – over drinks and canapés – on the progress we have achieved together and set out our plans to deliver over £60 million of investment over the next five years.

Warmest regards,

Dee Corsi, Chief Executive

SECURITY & OPERATIONS

New West End Company’s Chief Executive Dee Corsi joined, on 17 July, a roundtable with Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes to discuss future plans for ‘A New Met for London’ – a long-term review of the Metropolitan Police Service’s priorities and areas of focus, delivered in collaboration with key stakeholders. At the meeting, the Metropolitan Police reflected on the progress made so far with the reform and shared their approach for the next stage. Attendees were able to test and challenge some of the plans, which will open for a formal consultation period in due course. As we continue to collaborate with the Metropolitan Police on multiple initiatives in the West End, sessions like this reflect the value of partnership working and our shared commitment to protecting our high streets.

In July, the Metropolitan Police Service announced significant additional investment in the West End, with up to 80 additional officers joining the local team. Ahead of this, New West End Company’s Chief Operating Officer, Lucy Mitchell, joined a roundtable and district walkabout with key stakeholders, including the Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley; the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan; Deputy Mayors Kaya Comer-Schwartz and Howard Dawber; Leader of Westminster City Council, Adam Hug; and MP for Cities of London and Westminster, Rachel Blake.

The event was a valuable moment to acknowledge the need for a renewed focus on tackling high volume crime in the district, including shoplifting and phone theft. It was also an opportunity to showcase the significant work that New West End Company delivers on behalf of its members. The Commissioner was able to hear first-hand from local businesses about the challenges they face around issues of crime, and we welcomed the opportunity to discuss both shared concerns and recent wins, delivered in partnership.

Building on this momentum, New West End Company also attended a Business Crime Roundtable on 31 July. The discussion was co-chaired by Deputy Mayors Kaya Comer-Schwartz and Howard Dawber and featured representatives from the Metropolitan Police Service, Safer Business Network and other London BIDs. Attendees discussed current trends, as well as short and long-term solutions.

New West End Company is proud to announce the opening of a new Metropolitan Police touchdown base in the West End, delivered in collaboration with The Crown Estate. The space is being provided by the property owner, The Crown Estate, with New West End Company funding all ongoing costs. Now fully operational, it reflects the strong partnership between local businesses and the Metropolitan Police, and their shared commitment to enhancing the safety and security of the West End. Read more on our website.

From 14 to 18 July, New West End Company ran a week of action dedicated to tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). It included a number of activities, from an online seminar to a West End walk and talk with the Metropolitan Police Service. Read more about the various initiatives which took place here, in addition to details of charities and organisations dedicated to promoting women’s safety and supporting an end to violence against women and girls.

On 3 July, New West End Company hosted members for a major trauma first aid training – a practical first aid response course focused on responding to major haemorrhage and serious physical trauma; using a trauma bag and emergency equipment; and life-saving interventions before emergency services arrive. Thank you to all members who participated in the session.

In partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism Command, New West End Company delivered a Members ACT Operational Workshop on 24 July. The 2.5 hour, exercise-based workshop was designed to raise awareness of counter terrorism, improve security culture and increase attendees’ confidence when responding to a terror incident.

CAMPAIGNING AND ADVOCACY

This month, the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan’s plans to regenerate Oxford Street through the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) have been signed off by the London Assembly. The final details in the formal process of the creation of the MDC now sit with the Secretary of State.

A further public consultation is set to launch in the Autumn to gather views on traffic management for the project’s initial phase, which spans from Great Portland Street to Orchard Street. In advance of this, we were pleased to facilitate a series of workshops with the Greater London Authority, ranging from look and feel to security and commercial activations. These sessions will help inform the evolving plans for Oxford Street and ensure that the views of our members and partners are fully represented. We are now focused on working in partnership with key stakeholders to deliver a public realm that lives up to the street’s global reputation

Through our work with High Streets UK – a pro-growth partnership of flagship high streets co-founded by New West End Company – we proactively reached out to key political leaders. As a direct result of this outreach, our Chief Executive Dee Corsi met with Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Kevin Hollinrake; Liberal Democrat MP for St Albans, Daisy Cooper; and Conservative MP for Stockton West, Matt Vickers. These meetings are of vital importance, as we continue to engage with the Government on key issues for our members, including business rates reform and police funding.

In response to news of the UK jobs market in decline, Dee Corsi issued a statement warning that the Government’s proposed business rates reforms – which would dramatically raise the rates bill for anchor stores across the country – will place an unsustainable burden on flagship, city centre high streets.

“These locations are key drivers of economic growth and job creation, but current plans put that at risk”, she stated. Read her comment in full here or in the Daily Mail.

Westminster City Council and The Crown Estate launched a public consultation on their vision for the future of Regent Street, Haymarket and Piccadilly Circus. The proposals aim to enhance the experience for West End residents, workers and visitors, supporting local businesses and improving traffic flow in the area. New West End Company is currently preparing a response on behalf of our members. You can also have your say by submitting a response here.

INNOVATION & INSIGHTS

We continue to commission research to better understand West End visitor origin, behaviours, perception and satisfaction. Results of our visitor survey, which will provide an in-depth analysis – from consumer insights to overall district sentiment – are due to be released later this summer.

Throughout July, New West End Company ran a survey in partnership with edie – the UK’s leading media brand for sustainability in business – to better understand how businesses across the West End are tackling environmental challenges and opportunities. The findings will contribute to the first-ever benchmarking report of West End businesses’ sustainability performance, which will be shared exclusively with New West End Company members later this year. Complete the survey here.

We want to hear from you: take a few minutes to complete our latest survey and you could win a £250 Selfridges voucher. Your feedback will help shape a new digital platform New West End Company is exploring, designed to help people who work in the West End feel more connected to the area – including special offers, exclusive experiences and networking opportunities. Enter the prize draw here.

EVENTS

We are delighted to invite you to an exclusive reception on Thursday 11 September to launch our proposed Business Plan for 2026-2031 and reveal our refreshed New West End Company brand, reflecting our shared vision for the future. Join us at HERE at Outernet for an evening of drinks, canapés and conversation as we look back on the progress we’ve achieved and set out our plans to deliver over £60 million of investment over the next five years. RSVP by contacting [email protected]. Kindly note spaces are limited and, once secured, tickets are non-transferable.

Dee Corsi, Chief Executive, and Lorna Keegan, Head of Corporate Communications and External Affairs at New West End Company, attended the annual edie Leaders Summer Lunch 2025. Now in its 10th year, the event combined networking with nearly 100 business, sustainability and net-zero leaders, with an insightful panel discussion on the future of the sector.

It was a pleasure to welcome members to our Bond Street summer social, kindly hosted at Chanel on 16 July. The networking reception brought together Bond Street colleagues over drinks and canapés to discuss key priorities and areas of focus ahead of our next BID term. We were delighted to receive such positive feedback, and look forward to our next engagement.

As part of our ongoing engagement with the growing office community here in the West End, we were delighted to host a bespoke briefing for office occupiers on 10 July, outlining the services that come with a New West End Company membership. If you are a property owner and would like to connect us with your office occupiers, please contact New West End Company’s Head of Partnerships, Danielle Purnell at [email protected].

DESTINATION MARKETING

IN THE DISTRICT

On 10 July, we were excited to welcome Nike Oxford Circus to the district – a retail experience that is set to deliver the best of Nike, while the iconic NikeTown undergoes transformation until 2027. The temporary, three-floor store, located just steps from NikeTown, offers a curated mix of Nike products and services. As part of its seasonal activations, the ground floor hosted, upon opening weekend, an interactive and gamified Phantom boot trial cage, with consumers able to access the new England national team collection in-store.

We were also pleased to see The Body Shop opening doors at 111 Oxford Street on 30 July. The new store will be home to the full range of Body Shop products, from newly launched collections, such as Spa of the World and Tender Tonka, to beloved favourites including Mango, Banana and the limited-edition Refreshing Passionfruit collection.

This month, New West End Company had a sneak peek into the upcoming Space NK flagship store on Oxford Street. The megastore, due to open its doors on 8 August, is expected to be Space NK’s most ambitious physical space yet – boasting specialised fragrance area, interactive screens and personalised consultation pods.

Virgin Media O2 opened the doors to its latest flagship store at 142–144 Oxford Street, marking a strategic relocation from its previous premises just a few doors down. The move sees the telecoms provider join a growing line-up of stores on the street – including neighbour Holland & Barrett, which relocated earlier this year – choosing to upgrade its presence within the district.