Westminster City Council has set out its joint work with Lambeth Council and the police to tackle illegal ice cream vans, rogue pedicabs and street scams on Westminster Bridge, after Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden MP accused ministers of playing "pass the parcel" over law-breaking at one
Blue Note, the legendary New York jazz club, has opened its first London venue in Covent Garden this week after receiving final licensing approval from Westminster City Council, the Evening Standard has reported. Grammy Award-winning pianist Robert Glasper was booked as its opening act.
West End leaders and high-end London retailers, hoteliers and pub owners have backed a Conservative Party pledge to restore tax-free shopping for tourists, the Evening Standard has reported.
“The West End is one of the great shopping destinations of the world, and it has spent five years fighting with one hand tied behind its back. Every visitor who flies to Paris or Milan instead of London is money that never reaches our shops, our restaurants and our hotels, and jobs that never get created" says Cllr Paul Swaddle
"Five years of sending shoppers to Paris or Milan is more than enough... Britain should be a magnet for tourists who want to spend, not a country that tells them to take their money elsewhere" says Kemi Badenoch.
The joint challenge being mounted by Westminster and other London councils is a "very genuine attempt to push the Government to rethink the funding" says Cllr Paul Fisher
"The reality about an overnight visitor levy is that in Europe, VAT is significantly lower and the total tax burden is lower... if the levy is to be raised, local authorities need to keep at least half to be spent locally for services that benefit visitors, such as keeping the streets clean and safe" says Paul Swaddle
Cllr Paul Swaddle OBE, Leader of Westminster City Council, told a meeting of the full council that the administration is delivering on the priorities local people said mattered most, safety and enforcement, just over 100 days after taking office. Cllr Swaddle said: "Just over 100 days ago,
After passing 100 days in office, the administration confirms its Short-Term Lets Taskforce is now live, alongside continued action on enforcement, waste and transparency
