Canada to host ‘back to work’ week in bid to revive Square Mile
Canada will call on office workers to return to the Square Mile in a “back to work” week in April, in a bid to help resuscitate the bars, restaurants and hospitality venues hammered by empty streets during the pandemic.
William Russell, lord mayor of London and a former Merrill Lynch investment banker, announced the move this morning as part of “a big plan” to “create a buzz” around the City’s reopening week in the spring.
“We can bring together the businesses, the hospitality, the culture and get a whole load of people coming back,” he said.
City employees have been given variable advice about returning to the office since the first national lockdown lifted in July.
Staff were originally encouraged to return to the Square Mile to help reboot the British economy from the deepest recession on record.
However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson swiftly U-turned following a spike in infections in the capital, instead telling office workers to “work from home where possible” until the spring.
Businesses in the Square Mile that serve office workers have since struggled to stay afloat, with London’s largest office buildings remaining mostly empty.
“January and February will be tough. We have to survive those couple of months and hopefully come back with a bang in spring time. I want everyone to buy in on this reopening,” Russell told the Financial Times.
Footfall in the City has seen an uptick since London was placed into Tier 2 earlier this month, but business leaders have warned that further restrictions to quell a spike in new cases will likely wipe out progress made over the past few weeks.
Central London reported a 91.1 per cent jump in visitors by 5pm in the first weekend following the lifting of England’s month-long lockdown, as non-essential shops were allowed to reopen for the first time in 27 days.
An exemption allowing the return of business lunches under Tier 2 restrictions has also marked a boost in City life during the festive season.
Police even issued a £10,000 fine after breaking up a 45-strong office Christmas party in the Square Mile over the weekend, which featured booze, a DJ and decks.
However, footfall in the capital still remains down 62 per cent on last year, with the figure likely to plummet further if fears of London being placed into Tier 3 play out.
Ministers are facing pressure to place London into the highest level of restrictions when the government reviews England’s tier allocations on Wednesday.
It comes after figures released last week by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the level of Covid in London jumped from around 1 per cent to 1.5 per cent of the capital’s population last week, marking the biggest jump in the whole country.
However, MPs are understood to be reluctant to plunge London into the highest level of restrictions, with shopping in the capital during the key Christmas trading period vital to hopes of a swift economic recovery for the UK.
Under current Tier 2 restrictions in London, Liverpool and parts of the North, members of different households are not allowed to meet indoors, though they are allowed to abide by the rule of six in outdoor spaces.
Pubs and bars are only allowed to stay open if they serve a substantial meal alongside alcohol, with venues forced to shut at 11pm.
A move to Tier 3 would see a total ban on indoor and outdoor gatherings among different households, with all pubs, bars and restaurants forced to shutter.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan today warned that plunging London into Tier 3 would be “catastrophic” for the UK’s chances of economic recovery.
“Time is running out to get the virus under control in our city which is why I urge the government to heed my call and provide us with the extra support we desperately need,” the Labour mayor added.
But the UK’s leading hospitality bodies last week warned Morning Wire that placing London in Tier 3 would deliver a “killer blow” for thousands of businesses in the capital.
“Hospitality has continued to take on a disproportionate burden to allow other parts of the economy to reopen during this crisis,” said Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality.
Read more: Placing London in Tier 3 would deliver ‘killer blow’ for hospitality venues
“These businesses have invested significant time, effort and money to create Covid-secure spaces, and they can play a role in keeping transmission rates down.”
Nicholls added that “the prospect of London moving into Tier 3 would deliver a killer blow that many hospitality businesses simply wouldn’t recover from”.