City Matters Edition 013

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Page 14 | 14-20 December 2016 Extra Matters Grayling’s block is bad for London, says LCCI boss THE City-based London Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) has slammed the transport secretary for blocking a move that would see the operation of suburban rail services handed over to the Capital. MP Chris Grayling’s decision to deny Transport for London power over local rail affairs has been labelled “a step backwards.” LCCI chief executive Colin Stanbridge said: “We are extremely disappointed in this decision by Chris Grayling. “Under the previous government we had seen the real possibility of coming to a sensible arrangement where the management of Londonbound rail services was transferred to TfL.” The LCCI has repeatedly called for the move in an effort to improve reliability and punctuality for commuters, and avoid damaging the economy. “We had hoped that this could be done so as soon as possible to deliver real improvements in frequency and reliability,” added Mr Stanbridge. “Instead we are left in the same intolerable situation where passengers are subject to delays and cancellations with horrendous costs to the economy. “Many people have little choice but to live outside London because of housing prices and are forced to rely on commuter trains offering a substandard service day in day out.” Capital crunch hits home after just three months ONE in five students studying in the Capital are given a rude awakening by their bank account just three months into their studies. Research shows prospective students expected to be financially stable for the duration of their course, but 20% find themselves in their overdraft before the Christmas break. The average student in London spends £71 a month on food, £92 on bills, £66 on beauty/ fashion treats, and £61 on getting drunk. Despite the struggles, 54% of those surveyed by help-link.co.uk don’t work whilst at university. Annual fundraiser pulls in £8.2m for good causes ICAPing a top day of giving! IT was a right Royal affair at ICAP’s Charity Day when leading figures from Buckingham Palace visited the City to lend their support to the annual fundraiser. ICAP is a leading markets operator and provider of post trade risk mitigation and information services, and has been holding charity days for nearly quarter of a century, raising £135million over 24 years. Commissions And last week Prince Harry and Sophie Countess of Wessex put in a shift on the phones as, for one day only, 100% of ICAP’s revenues and the entirety of brokers’ commissions went directly to charity. The day raised in excess of £8.2m to support good causes across the globe. Former England and Manchester United the ring leaders: (left to right) Sophie Countess of Wessex, Tony Hadley, Tom Hardy & Ruth Wilson football star Rio Ferdinand was also called into action, as was film icon Tom Hardy, Spandea Ballet frontman Tony Hadley, and actor Ruth Wilson. Michael Spencer, group chief executive officer of ICAP, said: “I’d like to thank each and every one of our customers, employees, suppliers and our distinguished guests for their dedication and goodwill. “Without them, this simply would not have been possible. The amount raised will make a tangible difference to hundreds of charities around the world and I look forward to continuing to raise funds for much need charitable causes.” Some 200 charities will benefit from the latest round of funding, while 2,200 have been supported since the first Charity Day in 1993. the rio deal: Rio Ferdinand royal approval: Prince Harry takes a couple of calls CITYMATTERS.LONDON TfL and Met move to put fears to bed TRANSPORT for London (TfL) has teamed up with the Met to launch a campaign to make sure those visiting the City and neighbouring parts of the Capital are wrapped up safe this winter season. The Safer Travel at Night campaign, reminding the public of the dangers of unbooked minicabs and providing advice on how to safely get a black cab or booked minicab home this Christmas and new year, kicked off late last week. Officers will also be engaging with revellers to remind them of the importance of planning their journeys home, speaking particularly to those who may be tempted to take an unbooked minicab after a night out. As well as reminding the public of how they can stay safe, TfL will be speaking directly to minicab operators, reminding them of their responsibilities towards passenger safety. Steve Burton, TfL’s director of enforcement and on-street operations, said: “We want people to enjoy themselves this festive season, but also stay safe. “Working alongside the police, our enforcement teams will be dealing with any illegal taxi or minicab activity and speaking to passengers, drivers and minicab operators to help ensure everyone gets home safely. “People should always plan their journey home and, if using a minicab, make sure it’s booked with a licensed operator, if it’s not, it’s essentially a stranger’s car. “These drivers are breaking the law and putting you at risk.” Inspector David Aspinall from the City of London Police transport and highways operations group stressed that travelling in the Square Mile at night is ultimately very safe, but that the force will continue working to make it even safer. He added: “We have increased the number of compliance checks that we undertake on drivers and vehicles to help keep you safe. “You can also help yourself keep safe by making sure to always get a black cab or book a minicab through a licensed operator, don’t leave it to chance.”
CITYMATTERS.LONDON 14-20 December 2016 | Page 15 Shopping Matters 20 YEARS ON AND OXO TOWER REMAINS A MECCA FOR INDEPENDENT MAKERS Better by design creative flair: Snowden Flood WHEN the famous Oxo Tower was reopened in 1996 as a complex of low-income housing, designer workshops, eateries and community offices, it became one of the first major mixed-use city buildings in Britain. The Independent lauded the iconic development as one “that defies the laws of planners, bankers, pension fund managers, the majority of property developers and the whole deadly culture of ‘men in suits’.” Twenty years on and SE1 rents are skyrocketing, retail chains are muscling in, but the building remains resolute in its role as a community hub; thanks in no small part to the makers who have managed to turn levels two and three into a mecca of independent design. The 30-odd glass-fronted studios ringing the building house all manner of makers from jewellers to ceramicists and Archipelago’s textile designer Doreen Spending soars by a whopping 15% as small firms get in the spotlight THE fourth annual Small Business Saturday achieved sales of £717million this year, up 15% on last year’s figures. The event on 3 December encouraged consumers to “shop small” and favour their local independent stores over high street chains. According to research by American Express in the 36 hours following Small Business Saturday, an estimated £717m was spent with small businesses across the UK, with more than 50% of respondents saying they were aware of the day and spent more than usual. Positive consumer sentiment and support to small businesses was echoed through social media. Over 130,000 tweets were sent on the day itself, reaching more than 120 million people, with Small Business Saturday UK trending at number one in the UK and at number five globally. Michelle Ovens MBE, campaign director of Small Business Saturday, said: “Small Business Saturday has once again delivered a sustained increase in spending with Britain’s small Gittens, who has been hand-weaving scarves on a loom in her workshop since the building opened. Snowden Flood has made her name designing and sourcing high-quality homewares and gifts, most with a nod to British life and all manufactured in the UK. After years working out of her south London home, the decision to move into the complex was a no-brainer. After all, how else does one land an office overlooking the Thames without a job in finance? Landmarks The river’s daily milieu of traffic is one attraction – “I’ll often stop mid-sentence with a customer to point out some barge or boat I haven’t seen before” – but Snowden also credits her location with influencing the evolution of her business. What started as a few cushion covers featuring British landmarks, created as souvenirs for friends in New York, grew into crockery, glassware and lamp shades, but she moved into stationary and prints because they were easier for tourists to carry around town with them. “So many would be searching for unique, locally-made pieces to take home – that’s not easy to find in central London – and because I know lots of designer makers I began to stock their items too.” Like most of her creative neighbours, shine a light: Hash Hirji of Urban Species welcomed new customers on Small Business Saturday. Photo by Patricia Niven independent businesses. To see the spend on Small Business Saturday reach £249m more this year than on the first Saturday in 2013, an increase of 53%, is fantastic and confirms the positive stories we are hearing from small businesses in communities across the UK.” London Mayor Sadiq Khan was out and about throughout the day, starting with a hearty breakfast at famous East London greasy spoon E Pellicci. He dined with members of the East End Trades Guild (EETG) to talk through strategies to protect traders in East London from skyrocketing rents. Traders all over East London held special events, activities, talks and tours to showcase independent businesses and their contribution to the area’s local character. EETG director Krissie Nicolson said she hoped the Mayor’s appearance would be the beginning of a constructive relationship. “Sadiq is very pro-business and we are all confident he will do what he can to help traders,” she said. Snowden’s is a small scale operation, but one that Oxo Tower Wharf’s owner Coin Street is determined to make space for in central London. “The ethos for Oxo Tower Wharf was to create a centre for design excellence,” Coin Street’s Louise King says. “Our small designer-maker studios are available at affordable rents to help to provide a platform to those working in this field. “We are really proud to have helped to create a destination for people interested in design with many unique studios and products available.” For Snowden, the story behind these products is as important as the aesthetics, which have turned her tiny shop into a riot of colour. Her ceramics, for instance – bright silhouettes of scenes from city life – are created in Stoke-on-Trent by a group of women apprenticed at Wedgewood. “My ceramics all look quite simple but up to 20 people are involved in the making of each piece; the mixing of inks to the screen printing and decorating. “The girls – they call them ‘the girls’ but they’re all actually really old – have all got such phenomenal skills, it’s really quite amazing to watch them work. “It’s nice to hear there are still people around who are making things with quite a lot of integrity and I’ll do anything I can to support them.”
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