West End International Centre

Our West End

HOLBA, alongside our members and stakeholders, are seeking to enhance the area’s current International Centre designation in both remit and geography so that key parts of the West End are designated as a West End International Centre (WEIC). 

This new designation, recognised in the London Plan, will serve as a vehicle to unlock growth through planning and licensing reform, funding to accelerate infrastructure projects, and greater stewardship of place and experience. 

The challenge: 

• Licensing and planning processes are conducted separately, and so contradictory decisions are often made without recognition of the wider economic and cultural value of venues.
• Current designations in the West End - International Centre and WERLSPA - are predominantly retail-focused and no longer represent the full breadth of activity and opportunities in the area.
• The West End is treated with the same broad-brush stroke as elsewhere in London.  

 

Global rise of the Experience Economy:

• Worth $5.2 trillion globally, forecast to reach $12.8 trillion by 2028  
• In the UK, valued at £300 billion (2022)  
• Represented 14.1% of discretionary household spending by 2017  
• The Government’s focus on economic growth

What would WEIC mean for the West End’s businesses? 

Recognition of the West End as a WEIC would help to unlock the area’s full economic potential and deliver targeted support where it’s most needed. It would: 

• Ensure investment in the public realm, infrastructure and security to enhance the visitor experience and boost business confidence
• Enable policy reforms that support innovation, flexibility, and sustainable growth in the Experience Economy
• Recognise the West End as a strategic cultural and economic asset—one that merits bespoke governance and long-term investment 

Are there international precedents? 

Global cities like Tokyo, New York, Sydney, and Paris have implemented similar forms of area-based recognition to support economic clusters and cultural destinations. 

What happens next? 

Having submitted a case study to the Draft London Plan, in the coming months HOLBA will present detailed evidence bases, economic modelling, and impact analysis to strengthen the case for WEIC designation, advocating for its inclusion in the London Plan. 

Policy momentum: