2014 Annual Report
2016 South Bank Business Improvement District
What South Bank BID does
South Bank BID was set up to improve the management of the neighbourhood in the face of increasing footfall and falling public spending. We provide first rate opportunities for networking, business to business contacts, research and insight, and provide a vital source of information on events and activities in this incredible place. As a business orientated platform for initiatives such as greening, recycling and local recruitment, we reinforce South Bank’s brand and provide a voice for business in support of improvements to the area, including how best to mitigate the impacts of major construction activity. This is all achieved through collaboration with others, including South Bank Employers’ Group, South Bank Partnership, Visitor Management Group, South Bank Marketing Group and South Bank Business Watch. As an independent organisation, governed by our Board of Directors, we work in support of a shared vision for South Bank and its future.
twenty percent of Lambeth’s employment on four percent of its land.
79% 16% 99 million
More than 79% of visitors to the area describe it as South Bank.
South Bank contributes 16% of Lambeth’s total Gross Value Added*.
Number of people into Waterloo station annually. The UK’s busiest station is set to increase numbers by 45% by 2043. Five new platforms at the International Terminal are being linked to the existing station in 2017.
25% of visitors get their information through South Bank BID channels. *Gross Value Added is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy. Sources for the statistics shown opposite: South Bank: Economic Importance, Volterra, 2016. Visitor Survey Report, The Audience Agency 2016.
fifty-nine percent
59% of all new jobs delivered since 2009 are in Professional Services.
£2.8bn
South Bank total GVA per annum.
Two years of achievement
Following a successful ballot of local businesses in 2014, South Bank BID was set up to create a place that: supports and encourages investment and business growth; has a flourishing and cohesive residential community; is welcoming to visitors and tourists; and is friendly, safe, clean, dynamic and diverse. South Bank is internationally famous, and is one of London’s great success stories - it now welcomes over 30 million people each year. We have an outstanding brand - one that is recognised globally. But, we operate in an increasingly competitive market, with many cities now providing a variety of cultural and tourism attractions. Increasingly, other neighbourhoods in London are investing in their offer, with an emphasis on a quality environment and public realm, and improved transport infrastructure. And South Bank is under increasing pressure - from rising footfall in terms of visitors and commuters, construction activity across the neighbourhood, and from an increasingly fragile infrastructure that needs significant levels of investment. Our work builds on and enhances many of the services, initiatives and projects that are already underway in South Bank - our role is to ensure that businesses and employers benefit from these, especially in a period of intense development and growth. From helping to market and promote South Bank as London’s leading visitor destination, to coordinating services that make it a place that’s clean, safe and accessible to all, South Bank BID has delivered much over the past two years.
This report outlines the extent of our achievements in the first two years, and provides information on financial performance, delivery and governance. We hope it provides businesses and levypayers with a helpful summary of what South Bank BID has done on your behalf. We believe that South Bank BID has made a great start. But there is much more to do. Together, we are working to ensure a successful and prosperous future South Bank, for everyone who works, visits or lives here.
Nic Durston Chief Executive
David Pelly Deputy Chair
Safety and Security
Our Public Realm team keeps South Bank safe and secure. We work with a variety of partners to seamlessly integrate a range of essential services.
South Bank Patrol
Over the last two years, the BID has funded South Bank Patrol, which has contributed to a service that aims to keep South Bank safe and welcoming - for employees, visitors, and residents. Funding from the BID has helped to sustain the service and for it to benefit more businesses in the neighbourhood. The service consists of six core Security Officers that operate in pairs, i.e. two officers working together on each shift. The Patrol is active from 8am to 10pm in the winter season (October to March) and up to 11.30pm in summer (April to September). The team is overseen by a Patrol Supervisor.
Public Safety
South Bank is a night-time destination of choice for large numbers of people, attracted to the diverse range of art and cultural events, venues and numerous bars, restaurants and open spaces. Given the area’s high footfall, the Patrol’s hours are extended in the summer months, and an additional two Patrol Officers are deployed. The Patrol deals with illegal street traders, anti-social behaviour, rough sleeping, street drinking, and the Officers act as Ambassadors to those visiting South Bank - whether tourists, residents or local employees, improving their South Bank experience by signposting them to services, informing them of events and places of interest, helping victims of crime, and monitoring general safety and security.
Met Plus Scheme
The BID also part funds the “Met Patrol Plus” team, which provides two uniformed Police Officers, dedicated to South Bank, on a ‘buy one, get one free’ basis. The team operates within the South Bank BID boundary, and works to enhance police visibility in the area, and to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. The Officers blend problemsolving and direct enforcement activity to address the priorities of South Bank.
Crime Prevention
The Met Plus Officers work closely with private security teams and South Bank Patrol, including undertaking joint patrols. They are able to attend stakeholder and community meetings, as well as functions and events which enhance their visibility and engagement with BID members. Theirwork is done in partnership with a number of statutory and non-statutory organisations that have a responsibility for tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.
12,128
Interactions between South Bank Patrol and members of the public.
8,284
Ambassadorial services provided from January 2014 to March 2016.
472
Unlicensed Street Trading events reported by South Bank Patrol.
727 reportings of anti-social behaviour
South Bank Patrol keeps the neighbourhood safe, by working alongside the Met Plus Officers.
Cleaner and Greener
Our Clean Team and Graffiti Removal Service keep South Bank a pleasant place for all visitors: tourists, employees and residents.
Public Realm
Funding from the BID supports the management and coordination of public realm services, including the South Bank Clean Team and Graffiti Removal Service. Both play a critical role in maintaining a clean, pleasant and safe environment in the busiest parts of South Bank.
Clean Team
South Bank Clean Team continues to deliver a seven-day-per-week service ensuring the area is as litter-free as possible, and that it is also kept clean to the highest standard by undertaking regular jet washing, de-weeding, fly-posting and graffiti removal and street furniture polishing to the busiest areas. The team operates 09:30 – 11:30pm during the spring/ summer season (Apr – Oct) and 09:00 – 07:30pm in the autumn/winter (Nov – Mar).
19,574 members of the public assisted with enquiries
By South Bank Clean Team from October 2014 to September 2016.
56,228
OCTOBER 2014 – SEPTEMBER 2016
Square metres cleaned throughout public and private areas across the South Bank neighbourhood.
52,441 21,969
Refuse bags removed from public and private areas.
Square metres of graffiti removed from public and private areas.
706
Square metres of fly-posters removed from public and private areas.
Promotion and Marketing
South Bank is an outstanding brand. Our Destination Marketing team delivers real results in an increasingly competitive marketplace. We provide a platform and the tools for businesses to collaborate and harness the power of traditional and digital marketing. Seasonal Guides
We produced 200,000 One Big Summer and 100,000 South Bank Winter guides, which included a cross-section of BID members in dedicated pages in the Eat,Shop and Stay sections. A wide distribution network covers all major London Tourist Information Centres, airports, stations and hotel concierges.
The InfoBikes and Tourist Office South Bank BID manages the awardwinning InfoBikes, the official visitor information points operating every summer on the Thames Riverside. Staffed by a team of Ambassadors, the popular InfoBikes have recorded over 100,000 interactions over the past 18 months.
In partnership with Station Concierge, we set up a Tourist Office at Waterloo Station, exposing our members’ brands to over 100m commuters every year.
South Bank on Social
BID Members can rely on us to drive footfall to South Bank via our extensive social audience of over 250,000 users, across our popular Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Our Facebook posts reach 100,000 people per week, while on Twitter we are the absolute market leader among BIDs in the UK, with 200,000 followers and 1.2 million monthly impressions.
Walk This Way
We published an itinerary guide, South Bank - Walk This Way, providing walking trails and historical information on South Bank’s architecture and heritage. We printed 50,000 copies, with targeted distribution at key events including Open House London and Totally Thames Festival.
SouthBankLondon.com
All visitor economy members are featured on southbanklondon.com, one of the most popular destination websites in London, with over 1.5m users visiting the site in the last 18 months, and accessing 3.5m pages of content.
Press and Media Trips
Across the past 18 months, we have organised six familiarisation trips to South Bank for social influencers and bloggers, including Time Out, Londonist and Monocle. The trips help to further define the area as London’s most popular cultural district, to a combined digital audience of over five million users.
South Bank – The Official Visitor Guide
We produced the Official Visitor Guide to South Bank London, a tourist guide to South Bank offering practical visitor information and itineraries. The guide was distributed to regional bodies such as London & Partners and key travel trade operators.
Shop South Bank
Shop South Bank is a new shopping map for the area, listing retailers, hotels and attractions. We printed 20,000 copies, with a local distribution. Many BID members distributed it to customers with every purchase.
1.5m
Visits to our destination website southbanklondon.com.
3.5m
Pages of content viewed.
250,000 Followers across our social media platforms.
15m
Twitter impressions per year.
370,000 Visitor publications distributed.
Communicating and Engaging
Through regular events, publications and digital communications, South Bank BID ensures its members are kept up-to-date with the latest news and top stories from around the area, and benefit from valuable platforms for networking and business development.
Newsletters
#LondonIsOpen
We have produced monthly newsletters covering the latest news from the South Bank BID team, including updates on safety and public realm, marketing initiatives and monthly offers. The e-newsletters are sent to all BID members and receive an average open rate of 35%.
We worked with The Mayor of London to support his #LondonIsOpen message, creating a film that highlights South Bank’s reputation for openness and inclusivity. The video was shared by The Mayor and Visit London, and was seen by over 100,000 people in July 2016.
Lambeth Country Show
In summer 2016, we took part in the Lambeth Country Show to spread the word about our work amongst the local community. This highlighted how South Bank BID is committed to greening, cleaning and maintaining the public spaces in South Bank, as well as keeping the area safe for visitors and residents.
Membership Benefits Guide
Member Events
We have delivered four events and briefings, to enable BID members to stay up-to-date with key changes affecting London and South Bank, and provide opportunities for local networking and business interactions. Events included a Security Workshop, A Brexit Breakfast Briefing and an evening networking event at Mondrian London.
New South Bank BID Website
Public Exhibitions
We organised two photographic exhibitions following a call for Instagram-based photos inspired by South Bank, which resulted in over 2,000 submissions. The shortlisted photographers were featured in two outdoor exhibitions across our 20 proprietary poster sites, at key locations around South Bank, including Waterloo Station and Westminster Bridge.
The new South Bank BID website is an essential tool to assist businesses, employees and residents to stay up-todate with the latest news and activities delivered by our team. The site also includes a handy tool to report public realm issues and a comprehensive member directory. The website has been accessed by 16,000 visitors across the last 18 months, who have viewed over 35,000 pages of content.
We have produced and distributed a handy Membership Benefits Guide that catalogues the various benefits of BID membership, encompassing marketing, security, cleaning and other services. The document also contains information on the BID Board as well as the delivery team. The primary aim of this guide is to inform both existing and new BID members on the tangible benefits of membership and what the BID does for them.
A Voice for Business
By providing a forum for businesses to share ideas and resources, we help members to define the future of one of the capital’s most diverse and exciting quarters.
Important Connections
We represent South Bank business interests to many external organisations, including the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority (GLA), Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police, Lambeth Council, Southwark Council, and various departments of central government. South Bank BID is increasingly finding its distinctive voice, alongside the growth in the number of BIDs in London. Representatives of the BID met both Mayoral candidate teams in the run-up to the election in May 2016, and we have successfully engaged many of Sadiq’s new team, including several Deputy Mayors. The BID has funded important reports on South Bank’s economic value to London. South Bank BID was included as a case study in important research conducted by the GLA and the London Enterprise Panel (LEP) in March 2016 - The Evolution of London’s Business Improvement Districts. The study set out the strategic context for South Bank - its success, pressures and investment needs, and the role that South Bank BID plays in addressing these. South Bank BID’s Chief Executive spoke at the launch event.
Business Matters
When appropriate, we will campaign on behalf of South Bank businesses. The planned revaluation of business rates, set to be introduced in April 2017, poses significant challenges for South Bank as many businesses will face steep rises. Along with a number of other business organisations in London, including BIDs, we have proposed an alternative settlement for London - one that will bring benefit to a range of small, medium and large businesses in the neighbourhood.
London Living Wage
We launched Living Wage South Bank, a research and business engagement project on the London Living Wage, designed to provide employers with information and insight on the business benefits for becoming an accredited London Living Wage Employer. We are undertaking this work in partnership with Living Wage Foundation and London Citizens, with funding support from the Walcot Foundation.
50,000
Jobs within the 141 hectare area of South Bank.
39%
Of employment is within the professional services sector.
£66m
South Bank’s annual business rates contribution.
Close Relationships
South Bank BID works closely with its neighbours, especially We Are Waterloo and Better Bankside, and enjoys close relationships with all of the BIDs in Lambeth and Southwark, and other parts of Central London. We are a member of the Lambeth BIDs Forum, and also of the Inner London BIDs group.
Want to find out more about Living Wage South Bank? If you’re keen to find out more information about the benefits and value of becoming a London Living Wage employer, then get in touch: T: +44 (0) 20 7202 6947 E: bid@southbanklondon.com
A Place for Brilliant Ideas
South Bank is a hotbed of creativity and innovation. We explore and develop new initiatives to improve the experience of visitors to the area, and for businesses and employees.
Visitor Research
We have worked with the Audience Agency, the UK’s official audience research body, to deliver a large-scale visitor research project to learn more about South Bank visitors, their motivations to visit and perceptions of the area. The findings will enable BID members to better plan their activities and refine their commercial strategies.
Reward Programme
South Bank BID is committed to introducing an area-wide “Reward” Programme to ensure that everyone who contributes to making South Bank the thriving area it is, can access and enjoy what it has to offer by providing offers and discounts. We have begun work on the development of this. The programme will be aimed at local employees, residents and students and will encourage our local community to explore South Bank, and discover great places to shop, meet, eat and relax.
Creative Industries Growth Strategy
The creative, cultural and digital industries are one of Lambeth’s largest and most important sectors, which generate and sustain nearly 13,000 jobs, as well as supporting other parts of the economy. In recognition of this, Lambeth Council has commissioned a Creative and Digital Industries Study and Sector Growth Strategy. As South Bank is a global hub for arts and culture, the BID has provided funding towards this, and has helped to establish an Advisory Group which includes a range of South Bank representatives. The study will be completed by spring 2017, and we look forward to working with South Bank BID members in the implementation of its recommendations.
Looking Ahead
We are always looking to the future – to see ways in which we can enhance and improve South Bank’s appeal to visitors and businesses. We are supporters of The Illuminated River, which promises to deliver one of the most innovative arts projects to London, and we are hoping to support other high-profile creative and artistic initiatives that will further South Bank’s reputation as London’s cultural heart.
Considerate Construction
South Bank BID is also committed to minimising the impact of construction in the area and we support the work of South Bank Visitor Management Group in offering local businesses, employees and residents an invaluable online resource - oursouthbank.com. This provides up-to-the-minute information on major construction works and projects, and on planning applications, events, road closures and maintenance work in the South Bank neighbourhood.
10,247 individual user hits
From its inception in 2014 to date, oursouthbank.com has had 10,247 individual user hits.
Facts and Figures
Providing these services for your business requires rigorous oversight and financial efficiency to ensure South Bank BID is excellent in its delivery.
Our Finances
South Bank BID’s financial accounts have been prepared for the period 1st October 2014 to 31st March 2016. A full set of annual accounts can be found at www.southbankbid.co.uk
Our Income
Income is derived from BID levy payers, who fall within the South Bank BID boundary and whose rateable value is above the threshold of £50k. Lambeth Council and Southwark Council collect the levy directly from businesses and property occupiers, and pass this over to South Bank BID.
Income and Expenditure 30th October 2014 – 31st March 2016 Income Lambeth
£592,952
Southwark
£112,398
Voluntary/associate members
£535 Total
£705,885
Expenditure Waterloo Quarter Station Revenue Share
£35,751
Lambeth Levy Fees
£16,699
Southwark Levy Fees
£3,470
Cleansing & Graffiti Removal
£102,018
Patrol/Enforcement
£105,318
Construction Management
£14,776
Revenue collected from businesses located within Waterloo Station is shared with We Are Waterloo Business Improvement District, through an agreement reached when South Bank BID was established.
Communications
£36,631
Area Promotions
£110,118
Website Costs
£10,000
Additional Services Fund
£10,000
Our Expenditure
Met Plus
£19,717
Voluntary and Associate Members income is obtained from those properties that fall within the BID area, but have a rateable value that’s below the threshold of £50k. They voluntarily pay a sum directly to the BID. This ensures that smaller businesses have a voice in the BID and its work.
Our Revenue
Expenditure is shown against each of the main service headings - what the BID has delivered for its members. Details of these services and achievements are set out in this report.
Our Future
The operating surplus of £143,800 over 18 months - is carried over to the next financial year 2016/17 to continue further aspects of the BID’s work.
Total Overheads
£97,587 Total
Net Operating Surplus
£464,498
£562,085
£143,800
Meet the Team
Members of the BID Board are drawn from local organisations and employers. Together, the Board represents the interests of over 160 businesses within the South Bank BID area. To minimise costs and risk, and to make the best use of existing resources and expertise, the South Bank BID does not employ staff. It delivers its programmes and projects through South Bank Employers’ Group (SBEG). The BID Delivery Team is multidisciplinary and is led by (left to right): Indranie Sookdeo (Finance and Company Secretary); Nic Durston; Claudio Giambrone (Marketing) and Alex Valenzuela (Public Realm). Details of the full team, and their responsibilities can be found at www.southbankbid.co.uk.
Local Authority Observers Cllr Ian Wingfield (to May 2016) Cabinet member for Environment and the Public Realm, Southwark Council
The Board Anne Golden (Chair to May 2016) Mondrian London, Sea Containers David Pelly (Deputy Chair) Prospect, Leake Street Theresa Maw (to May 2016) London Marriott Hotel, County Hall Nicola Pottage (to October 2016) OXO2, Oxo Tower Wharf
Cllr Maria Linforth-Hall Ward Councillor for Cathedrals Ward, Southwark Council Mark Blackhurst Doddle, Waterloo Station Dominic Lake Canteen, Royal Festival Hall Andrew Reed Bouygues Energies & Services, York Road Mark Wakefield IBM, Upper Ground
Rej Bangar Network Rail, Waterloo Station
Michelle Wells Park Plaza County Hall, Addington Street
Neelofar Khan Chilli Chutney, York Road
Sergio Leandro Mondrian London, Sea Containers
Duncan McKeich British Film Institute, Belvedere Road
Alison Pinner Coin Street Community Builders
Cllr Kevin Craig Ward Councillor for Bishop’s Ward, Lambeth Council Cllr Ben Kind Ward Councillor for Bishop’s Ward, Lambeth Council Cllr Johnson Situ Cabinet Member for Business, Employment and Culture, Southwark Council
Connect with us If you’d like to find out more about South Bank BID then get in touch: South Bank BID Elizabeth House York Road London SE1 7NQ +44 (0) 207 202 6900 bid@southbanklondon.com southbankbid.co.uk