HOLBA is a Business Improvement District (BID). BIDs are business-led, locally funded partnerships that are formed to improve a defined commercial area.

Under the Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004, BIDs are statutorily established once a successful ballot has been secured.

The following streets sit within the Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus District:

• Bear Street
• Clareville House
• Charing Cross Road (part street)
• Coventry Street
• Cranbourn Alley
• Cranbourn Street (part street)
• Denman Street (part street)
• Excel Court
• Glasshouse Street (part street)
• Great Windmill Street (part street)
• Haymarket (part street)
• Huguenot House
• Hunt’s Court
• Irving Street
• Jermyn Street (part street)
• Leicester Court
• Leicester Place
• Leicester Square
• Leicester Street
• Lisle Street (part street)
• Little Newport Street (part street)
• Long’s Court
• New Coventry Street
• Orange Street
• Oxendon Street
• Pall Mall East (part street)
• Panton Street
• Piccadilly (part street)
• Piccadilly Circus
• Piccadilly Circus Station
• Regent Street (part street)
• Rupert Court
• Rupert Street (part street)
• St Martin’s Street
• Shaftesbury Avenue (part street)
• Shavers Place
• Sherwood Street
• Suffolk Place
• Suffolk Street
• Swiss Court
• Swiss Centre
• The Trocadero
• Wardour Street (part street)
• Whitcomb Street
• Whitcomb Court

Heart of London Business Alliance (HOLBA) is a more than 500-strong membership organisation established, led and financed by businesses within the HOLBA area. For the past 20 years, HOLBA has proven its ability to improve the commercial, cultural and trading environment of the area.

Comprising property owners and occupiers from all sectors, HOLBA brings businesses together to consider, agree on and invest in improvement plans for their individual and shared trading environments.

Throughout HOLBA’s lifespan, it has already invested a total of £42 million of BID levy directly into the area to address the shared priorities of its property owners as well as occupier members.

HOLBA consists of six BID entities: one occupier BID and one property owner BID in each of the three districts. Each entity has separate budget accountability while contributing to the overall business plan. This allows for economies of scale, joint procurement, greater influence and better results for all.

Indeed, the HOLBA area is home to three of just four property owner BIDs in the country; this structure best reflects the short- and long-term interests of those who own, occupy, manage and rent property and spaces in the area.

BIDs have a maximum term of five years before returning to their electorate for renewal. For more information on BIDs in the UK please visit the Government’s website.

The board of directors is responsible for the long-term success of the company. Its role is to provide oversight of the company’s strategic and fiscal management. It is made up of non-executive directors and presided over by an elected chair. The membership of the board is representative of all business sectors operating in the HOLBA districts. The Board of Directors is unpaid and the liability of each director is limited to £1.

Company representatives on the board include:

• BAFTA
• Capital Arches Group
• Criterion Capital
• Delfont Mackintosh Theatres
• Edwardian Hotels
• Fortnum & Mason
• Gascoyne Holdings
• Great Portland Estates
• Hearst UK
• Odeon Cinemas
• Old Park Lane Management
• Royal Academy of Arts
• Soho Estates
• The Crown Estate
• The Hippodrome Casino
• The Ritz London

HOLBA employs a team of experts to drive and execute the business plan in accordance with the board’s strategic direction and agreed budget.

HOLBA is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee. It is primarily financed by its members via an annual levy. The money is ring-fenced to be spent in the HOLBA area. It secures and leverages additional non-levy investment for the area. Please see the BID Rules section for information on how the levy is calculated and charged.

Following a successful ballot, invoices are likely to be sent out between the announcement of the ballot result and 1 April 2025.

Westminster City Council is responsible for the administration and collection of business rates and council taxes in the borough of Westminster. Westminster City Council only retains 5% of the money it collects annually, with the remaining 95% going to central government to be spent elsewhere. For more information on council business rates in Westminster visit: www.westminster.gov.uk/contact-business-rates

The council uses the money it retains to deliver a range of services across the borough including education, libraries, social services, housing, planning, licensing, trading standards, enforcement, fire and public safety, waste management, refuse collection and recycling

Whilst the demand for statutory services continues to rise, councils across the UK have had 26% real terms cuts in core spending power since 2010, weakening their ability to deliver services and meet new challenges. The consequences of these pressures are visible on the streets across London and threatens the West End’s reputation as a world-leading destination for culture and commerce.

In 2004, businesses in the West End decided that they could not stand by and allow their streets to deteriorate. Instead, they had the foresight to set up HOLBA, a vehicle that allows businesses to raise, control and determine how their money is invested to improve the trading environment of the HOLBA area.

HOLBA and the statutory providers including Westminster City Council are separate entities.

HOLBA is non-political and has a business electorate. It is an entirely not-for-profit company and 100% of its income is ring-fenced to spend on business priorities. It is established, controlled and funded by businesses in the HOLBA area.

It is established via an independently regulated ballot of businesses and has a maximum five-year term.

Westminster City Council provides HOLBA with a statement of baseline services it will fund and deliver over the five-year term. This provides transparency, prevents duplication and allows HOLBA to focus on investing in services that enhance those of the council, or entirely new services. The baseline services agreement ensures that businesses are not paying twice for the same services.

That said, HOLBA proactively works in partnership with public and private organisations to align priorities, optimise investment and enhance the standards of the area.