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Please help us to gather your opinions on Soho for 2023.
We have separated hospitality for more detail. Please select below to begin & please get in touch if you have any questions, comments or queries.

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Members of the SBA Board met with Deputy Mayor of London for Business, Howard Dawber last week to discuss the challenges and priorities our members are facing in Soho and what support we need to keep Soho the unique, vibrant and successful community it is.

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The SBA has been working hard to represent members' concerns to influential decision-makers. We have raised several key points as our goals:

To explore the implications of Soho's 24-hour lifestyle.

To address issues related to crime, safety, and the reputation of Soho.

We've discussed the importance of tourism and tax-free shopping.

We've advocated for more green spaces and safer streets, as well as cleaner streets overall.

We're emphasizing the need for community and outdoor activities.

We're always considering the impacts of growth and change in the area.

BBC - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce98m36m9lvo
Evening Standard - https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-nightlife-night-economy-nightclubs-soho-costs-mayor-sadiq-khan-b1172965.html
Daily Motion (ES) - https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x92wywe
MyLondonNews - https://www.mylondon.news/whats-on/food-drink-news/london-pubs-closing-early-reasons-29614264

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The SBA met with Rishi Sunak, and members of the Night Time Economy Alliance and others. We held a serious conversation about the impact of policies on our dear Soho.
Restrictive licensing is allowing London to be quieter when we should be celebrating our city, internationally.

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Would you be open to creating a network of CCTV using your cameras?

This form is to collect information on existing private CCTV systems in Soho so that we can:
(1) more easily co-ordinate evidence gathering by the police when they investigate crime and
(2) consider additional cameras that could be added to cover more of the public realm and eliminate areas that have no coverage.  

CCTV Camera Questions

Step 1 - Identify yourself and your business, please

Please help us identify you and where your business is in Soho

Step 2: Information about your CCTV and cameras.

We are finding out whether we can create a network of outside cameras to be shared with police for crime:

Step 3: CCTV going forward

Please tell us your opinions on creating a single CCTV network across Soho.

Data and GDPR

Please let us know your current situation with legalities in GDPR.

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Westminster is now focussing on the Westminster After Dark. Please click here and read this, it does affect your business. Everything about how we survive in Soho might change, please read the document and take part.

We have copied just some pertinent points below, there is a lot to learn: 

  1. 1.3  The Council’s evening and night-time plan should seek to create an inclusive, vibrant evening and night-time environment. In doing so the plan should also seek to ensure that people are safe, and residents are not adversely impacted by the negative effects which can arise during this period.
  2. 1.4  The City of Westminster is the UK's largest evening and night-time economy, a pivotal contributor to the UK’s economic prosperity and the facilitator of a multitude of diverse employment opportunities. Licensed premises constitute a significant component of our evening and night-time economy, driving up to £3.7 billion in economic activity—an impressive 5% contribution to Westminster's overall economic landscape.
  3. 1.5  Employing approximately 80,000 individuals, of which over 9,000 are Westminster residents, these venues represent one of the largest sectors for evening and night-time employment. Notably, restaurants and cafes spearhead this economic activity, generating a Gross Value Added (GVA) of £915 million while providing employment to about 31,800 individuals during these hours.
  4. 1.6  In formulating our plan, our objective is to pioneer an approach that manages this burgeoning growth while nurturing a vibrant, well-regulated, and secure evening and night-time environment. Balancing economic vitality with regulatory oversight and safety measures remains at the forefront of our future evening and night-time plan.
  5. 1.7  The engagement approach and the development of our plan, titled "Westminster After Dark," extends beyond the usual late-night economy activities (such as licensed drinking and entertainment premises) to encompass various aspects like retail, food choices, lighting, and sports facilities, aiming for a holistic approach. Additionally, Westminster After Dark will consider the transportation options available for navigating Westminster during evening and night hours as well as seek to address the specific requirements of workers within the evening and night-time environment to ensure their needs are adequately met.
  6. 1.8  The Westminster After Dark project will be delivered through four phases: research, engagement, formulation, and review phases. Engagement efforts involve various tools and forums to gather input from residents, workers, visitors, and businesses and will include a representative Stakeholder Assembly.
    1.9  A forthcoming report to this Committee will delve deeper into thematic issues and engagement outcomes from the completion of initial engagement and the outcome of the Stakeholder Assembly. 

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As of the 17th July 2023 Central West Crime Assessment Team is introducing Op Retail. Op Retail is a new process for the Police to investigate theft reports from retail premises where an evidence pack is sent directly to the retailer to complete. In order for the Police to work smarter and allow more time to investigate high harm thefts we will be using Op Retail in the below circumstances.

  • Where CCTV is the only line of enquiry.
  • Where the suspect is not a repeat offender.
  • Where violence or weapons have not been used.
  • If the goods stolen are from a retail chain and the value is under £500.
  • If goods stolen are from a smaller retailer and the value is under £200.

In these circumstances The Crime Assessment Team will send you an evidence pack via email. The pack will consist of a letter explaining how to complete the evidence pack, an Axon link for CCTV and two statements.

Once the evidence pack has been sent the crime report will be closed. If the evidence pack is returned the evidence will be reviewed and if it is adequate the report will be opened and investigated.

When you report a crime please make sure that you provide an email address for the person you would like the pack sent to. Please also state if the suspect is a repeat offender and whether violence or weapons were used.

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