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Right now, the City of London is at a critical juncture. A new draft economic development strategy, developed by Deloitte, is currently moving through the Council review and approval process. This document is intended to serve as the roadmap for our city’s growth, prosperity, and resilience for years to come.

As the voice of business in London, the Chamber has been at the table throughout this process. We have supported the development of this strategy and engaged in deep discussions about what our business community needs to thrive.

Currently, the draft strategy is built upon five core pillars:

  1. Talent and Innovation
  2. Investment Attraction and Retention
  3. Regional Collaboration
  4. Transportation and Access
  5. System Optimization

These are strong foundations. However, during the community engagement discussions, our CEO Graham Henderson noticed a recurring theme—one that was impossible to ignore.

The Feedback: “Fix the Downtown”

No matter who Graham and the team connected with—business owners, residents, or community partners—the sentiment was consistent: “Fix the Downtown.”

While the current draft strategy addresses many systemic needs, there is a feeling that it overlooks the specific, urgent need to revitalize our core. At the same time, City Council is separately developing a new plan for London’s Downtown.

We see a massive opportunity here. Rather than keeping these initiatives separate, we believe there are powerful synergies to be found by integrating them.

The Proposal: A 6th Pillar

This weekend, Graham Henderson sat down with Matt Brown on The Matt Brown Podcast to discuss this exact issue.

Graham announced that he has submitted a letter to Council and will be appearing as a delegate at an upcoming committee meeting. His request is simple but significant: We are asking Council to make a strategic “tweak” to the draft plan.

Specifically, the London Chamber of Commerce is advocating for:

  • An additional round of targeted community consultation.
  • The addition of a 6th Pillar to the strategy that speaks directly to London’s Downtown.

This new pillar should include a strong reference to London’s status as a UNESCO City of Music and identify how a focus on Culture & Creative industries are not just “nice-to-haves,” but are significant economic drivers for London’s economy. We cannot have a thriving city without a vibrant heart.

Listen to the Conversation

To understand the full context of this proposal and the “Fix the Downtown” debate, we encourage our members to listen to Graham’s full interview with Matt Brown.

In this episode, they discuss:

  • The breakdown of the current 5 pillars.
  • Why the “Downtown” theme became so prominent during consultations.
  • How the creative sector serves as an economic engine.

🎧 [Click here to listen to the episode: Graham Henderson Talks Council’s Draft EcDev Strategy]

What’s Next?

The Chamber will continue to advocate for a strategy that reflects the reality of doing business in London—which includes a safe, vibrant, and culturally rich downtown core. We will keep our members updated as this proposal moves through the Council committee meetings.

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