West London Business
West London Business (WLB)[1] is a non-profit business leadership forum. It represents business and enterprise with any commercial focus across the seven 'West London Alliance'[2] boroughs:
with a combined population of 1.4 million people.
It seeks to represent the interests of 87,000 businesses, from small to multinational, located in west London, which contribute an estimated (in 2009) £32.4 billion (GVA)[3] to the UK economy.
Membership
WLB has over 800 members, including major corporates and multinationals such as GlaxoSmithKline, the BBC, Heathrow Airport, HSBC and SEGRO, through to SMEs in a wide range of sectors. The organisation claims this results in a unique forum for promotion and networking in west London.
Activities
West London Business is active in:
- promoting economic development, entrepreneurial activity and innovation, as well as supporting the many growth sectors in West London, such as pharmaceuticals, food, information technology, logistics, creative industries and tourism
- (through the 'Business London West Consortium') offering free support for business start-up and micro companies
- offering a broad portfolio of commercial consultancy services, using specialist partner consultants where appropriate
- (in a London Development Agency supported programme) promoting inward investment and business growth services
- lobbying to influence public policy decisions that affect the business environment in the area
- providing members with knowledge of London-wide and local political and economic developments.
More recently under their new CEO Andrew Dakers they have gone through significant change and have developed a more comprehensive level of services which are:
- Park Royal Business Group – WLB facilitates this key local business group, providing its secretariat and legal structure. This has taken over from the Park Royal Partnership which wound up in 2014.
- Spark! Kick starting careers – WLB actively supports this education-business charity which is hosted by GSK in Brentford
- Golden Mile Transport Group – WLB helped initiate the predecessor Golden Mile Group and remains an active supporter of the Golden Mile Transport Group
- Cross Party Group for West London – WLB works in partnership with Fuller, Smith & Turner Plc to provide the secretariat for the group
- West London Export Club – WLB works in partnership with Hounslow Chamber of Commerce to provide the secretariat for the club
It works with the West London Alliance (the public body group incorporating the councils which cover the North West London area) which includes Hounslow, Ealing, Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Barnet and Hammersmith & Fulham)
As a transport initiative, throughout the 2000s it has promoted the West London Orbital underground railway scheme. This is being revived in large due to CrossRail 2. WSP who originally worked on the Orbital loop project, are working on the possibility of converting some old freight lines into passenger services. this would focus on linking Brentford to Barnet.