The pandemic had a huge impact on London's high streets and businesses. To ensure businesses could operate within the ever changing restrictions, licensing, regulation and business support teams had to work together in new ways, responding to the fast-moving challenges of the pandemic. This has resulted in innovative ways of working and successful partnerships between local authority regulation, regeneration and economic development teams, as well as high street businesses, the police, the GLA and other partners.

This business-friendly approach to protecting high streets and local economies has proven successful. Many businesses and local authority teams have also seen benefits to working this way. Examples include the rapid implementation of the new pavement licence to enable outdoor dining and use of social media to engage with high street businesses and boost awareness of grants and regulatory guidance.

The London Recovery Programme, run by the GLA and London Councils, aims to boost London’s high streets by making it easier for businesses to trade and access council support. London Councils has also published its Pledges for Business, which is backed by every council leader in the capital. It includes a commitment from local authorities to implementing a ‘business friendly’ approach to licensing and regulation. With London’s high streets suffering long term damage from the pandemic, this business-friendly approach will be essential to economic recovery in all parts of the capital. 

To support this work, the GLA commissioned research into business-friendly licensing and regulation practices.

The research has provided a wealth of examples of how councils have supported their local businesses before and during the pandemic. It includes informative case studies from the UK and elsewhere. The research has identified seven key ways that council licensing and regulation services can support businesses. You can read about them in the research report.

The GLA has a small fund available to help local authorities develop business-friendly licensing and regulation practices. The total fund is £70,000 and each London local authority can request up to £25,000. Funding should be used for new and innovative ideas and not for projects that are already budgeted for. Requests for funding should be made by filling in the short expression of interest form below.