Covent Garden London
The heart of London's West End
THE CGCA'S ALTERNATIVE 10 - POINT PLAN
The decline of parts of Covent Garden (and the West End of London as a whole) could be halted by compliance with existing Laws and Regulations. The Covent Garden Community Association has read the various studies on the decline and management of the West End that have been published in recent months. All these studies, commissioned by large property companies, the leisure & entertainment industry, and even Westminster City Council, come up with complicated proposals, some requiring primary legislation, and costing vast sums of money.
The CGCA's proposals are cheap, fast to implement, do not require any new legislation or teams of consultants, and are based on common sense. We call upon all businesses to clean up their act and follow these easy rules:
- Keep the street and pavement outside their premises clean and free from rubbish, broken glass, vomit, litter, cigarette ends, buskers and beggars.
- Only place refuse out immediately before collection time - not hours in advance.
- Make special arrangements for the collection of oil, greasy kitchen waste and recyclable materials.
- Ensure proper Applications are made - in advance - for Planning Permission for alterations, extensions, air conditioning units, extract ducts, signs, awnings, outside chairs and A boards.
- Find out exactly what any Licence permits and comply with it to the letter.
- Contain all music/noise leaking from premises by keeping doors and windows shut and by installing (and using!) double sets of doors and "sound lobbies".
- Include information about Covent Garden's history and its residential community in staff induction programmes to foster awareness of and respect for the residential community (over 6,000 of them) who may also be - or become - customers.
- Never use fly posting to advertise and ensure all connected with your business - e.g. promoters/tenants etc - do not fly post either.
- Do not hand out leaflets in the street.
- Ensure tables/chairs and A-boards (if licensed) do not stray across the footway and NEVER impede pedestrian movement.
There is no immediate need for new Forums, Meetings, discussions or By-Laws. If all of us - every shop, bar, restaurant and resident - became "house proud" of the streets of Covent Garden, as well as their own premises and complied with civilised requirements, did not break the Law and displayed a dose of "civic pride" - central Covent Garden and the whole area would be a different place.
WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE? NAMING & SHAMING? LET'S HOPE NOT...
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