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Foreword: Alexander Jan, Chairman of the Hatton Garden BID
The Hatton Garden BID Annual Report for 2022- 2023, is an opportune moment to reflect on the strategic direction of our district. The landscape of Hatton Garden is evolving, and our role as stewards of this vibrant area is more crucial than ever.
In 2022-23, we saw the opening of the Elizabeth line. With Hatton Garden being located on Farringdon station’s door step, the line has already started to have a transformative effect on the district. Enhanced connectivity, accessibility, new avenues for growth and development have been created. We very much hope that this long-term investment yield benefits for Hatton Garden for many years to come - not least in the form of increased visitor numbers and enhanced attractiveness of the district to prospective and existing employers.
We continue to focus on the every day alongside a long-term vision for Hatton Garden. By this I mean that we are conscious of the need to help get the basics right for the area - such as cleaning, security (an ongoing challenge) and some greening. In addition, we have an excellent winter lights programme and some outdoor events for workers, visitors and residents to enjoy thorughout the year.
Our longer term approach is guided by our mission to create a thriving business and cultural environment through helping to shape the public realm positively alongside some targeted capital investment. We are committed to working closely with our levy-payers, public sector partners, and other stakeholders to deliver these improvements. A good example of this is our work on an integrated “place plan” with our friends at Camden and TfL, as well as private property owners.
In the face of rapid change in working and visitor dynamics associated with Covid, we have bolstered our insights and advocacy efforts. Our aim is to provide our members with valuable insights that can guide their decision-making process. We are also committed to representing the needs and interests of our members, ensuring that their voices are heard at all levels. We continue to work in tandem with Camden Council, other business improvement districts, the Greater London Authority, the Metropolitan Police and central Government to promote Hatton Garden’s interests.
During 2022/2023, I have been supported by an excellent board and executive team. We said goodbye to David Kaiser, Head of Real Estate, UK, Ireland, Middle East, and Africa at WeWork, who stepped down from the Board to pursue a new career. I would like to thank David for his hard work and wish him all the best in his new role. I am delighted that Jenna Barry, Associate at Arax Properties Ltd and Nick Byers, Head of Administration and former Board Director at De Beers U.K. have since joined the Board. We are thrilled to have Jenna and Nick and we feel that alongside our other directors, their knowledge and expertise will be of great benefit.
On behalf of Debbie Akehurst, our Chief Executive, and my fellow board members, thank you for your ongoing support for Hatton Garden BID. As always, if you have any ideas or suggestions as to where we could be making further improvements please do get in touch.
To download the full Annual Report, please click here.