Bromley Business Guide 2021.

BROMLEY BUSINESS GUIDE

WHERE HISTORY AND MODERN LUXURY SEAMLESSLY MERGE

Ideally loc ated, with a bird’s eye view of L ondon and the Kent countr yside, e Bromley C ourt is the largest and most established hotel in the area.

We are proud of our rich 200-year histor y and years of experience, o ering comfortable surroundings, superb food and personal ser vice to all our guests whether they are holiday makers, business travellers or are visiting us for a special occasion.

A warm welcome awaits you in elegant surroundings, including two acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. Begin your stay with a relaxing drink in our Garden Bar and then enjoy our hospitality with a light snack or dinner in our oranger y-style Garden Restaurant

However you choose to spend your time with us, we look for ward to welcoming you

CONFERENCES

Bromley Court Hotel hosts exible meetings rooms o ering facilities for between 2-150 delegates in a unique setting.

Your Dream Wedding

For special occasions we have luxurious private dining rooms, bars and banqueting areas, where our events team will take care of the details to make your celebration run smoothly and successfully, with style and precision

Our range of nine function rooms are suitable for 20 to 180 people with air-conditioning and natural daylight

With nine di erent possible combinations, the events facilities provide many di erent options for any event of any size.

We specialise in small intimate weddings to larger weddings of up to 180 guests.

Enjoy the convenience of having your ceremony in the same location as your wedding breakfast

We have several packages to choose from to suit all tastes and budgets. If you want something a little di erent and extra special, why not let us organise a bespoke wedding especially for you?

Our team is here to make sure your dream day becomes a reality and our dedicated wedding co-ordinator will be there for ever y question you may have and oversee all the little details that will make your day perfect.

Set in 22 acres of beautiful Kent countryside, within easy reach of London, The Warren is one of the most unique and versatile venues in the South East.

The Warren offers corporate clients a fantastic selection of event spaces, a great choice of facilities and an unbeatable location.

Our events team will help you plan your event from start to finish and ensure you have the support and resources you need to make the occasion a success.

Our chefs can whip up a full banquet for your guests, prepare a mouth-watering buffet for conference delegates or simply ensure everyone at your event is fully topped up with tea, coffee and cakes.

Whether it’s a wedding, family gathering, meeting, conference or any other occasion, The Warren is the perfect choice for your next event.

When it comes to holding

a

conference, meeting, event or a training workshop for your business, nothing can beat The Warren!

With our facilities to host a function or corporate event we can accommodate 5 to 300 guests in style and with my expert staff we can skilfully adapt any of our individual suites to make a small gathering feel personal and focused, or a larger event both inclusive and impressive.

Why not give us a call and we can discuss what you need and arrange a personalised tour of The Warren. When it comes to events ...we mean business.

Martin Purser General Manager

25 years of the most extravagant Indian cuisine

REST AURANT I B AR I

“When we opened our doors in 1992, it was my intention to bring the vibrancy, indulgence and experience of India to Bromley. I have taken great pride in personally handpicking the finest chefs from across India and ensuring that you are always served fresh ingredients, cooked to perfection using traditional techniques. Welcome to the days of the Raj; welcome to Tamasha.”

Dine as Royalty with dishes from Punjab to Kerala, Mumbai to Kolkata.

We provide live music on Monday evenings and a buffet lunch on Sunday with entertainment from our family-friendly magician.

Great meals begin with a great drink. Whether it is the Polo Bar downstairs or the Cricket Bar upstairs, you cannot fail to be astonished by the meticulous attention to detail that goes into creating what you sip. From a curated selection of whiskies, gins, cognacs and liqueurs, new icons are born and classics skilfully reimagined. For the connoisseurs out there, we invite you to explore our wine list.

We also have decades of experience catering all manner of festivities; weddings, birthday parties, society events and charity auctions. Not only will our acclaimed chefs create a bespoke menu for your individual celebration, we will also provide the bar and waiting staff, crockery, cutlery, table linen and even flowers. Leave it to us to provide the full Tamasha experience; Indian hospitality at its finest.

On site we have a conference room which can seat 75 people with private bar and wash rooms, AV facilities and W i-Fi connectivity. Perfect for any business event.

131 Widmore Road Bromley BR2 3AX 020 8460 3240 tamasha@tamasha.co.uk

Professional advice Personal care

will be handled effectively, with empathy and confidentially.

We understand the importance of resolving your debt issues! Knowing the impact it can have upon your qualit y of life is why we offer our first initial consultation for free.

We want to help. We tr y to put ourselves in your position, understand your problems and provide you with solutions, so that you can put your debt problems behind you and move for ward with confidence that they will not arise again.

CE NT RE OF AE ROSPACE EXCE LLE NCE

The Airport and adjoining business area are a major asset to the Borough and are direct and indirect generators of employment.

significant additional and

Biggin Hillhas been selected by the Mayorof London as a Strategic Outer London Development Centre, with support to develop sustainable development capacity, on the 500-acre airport

We are committed to increasing opportunities for young people and aim to establish a new aviation training college, supporting the next generation to attain good skilled jobs at the airport.

Bromley Borough Council Unitary Development Plan

London Biggin Hill Airport, one of thebiggest employers in Bromley, hosts 70 resident companies, supportingover 1,250 local jobs

site.

Please note: This

Our Advertisers:

We gratefully acknowledge the support of all the firms whose advertisements appear in these pages. Without their help we would not be able to produce this guide. As a reciprocal gesture we have pleasure in drawing the attention of our readers to their announcements, but wish to make it clear that Bromley Council can accept no responsibility for their products or services advertised.

All adverts correct at time they were signed off.

Dealing with financial problems is stressful for anyone, so seek advice from Abbott Fielding Limited, Licensed Insolvency Practitioners, and let us offer assistance.

Abbott Fielding has a flexible team of professionals working with our clients.

We are business people running our own business - we understand the pressures which the current economic climate is bringing to all walks of life and are committed to using our skills to give businesses and individuals a fresh start wherever possible.

We offer a responsive service to local businesses and the wider community in the South East, but also act for many clients who value the expertise within Abbott Feilding.

Insolvent situations bring real stress to all involved in them, whether as debtor or creditor We aim to bring a balanced approach to the situation, recognising that creditors need to see value for the assets available but that often the greatest values can be achieved by the survival of a distressed business.

We offer a wide range of advice to businesses and indiviuals with financial difficulties. We do not charge for an initial consultation.

Getting the right solution for you

Our services include:

■ Business Recovery and Reorganisation

■ Personal Insolvency Advice

■ Bankruptcy and Voluntary Arrangements

■ Advice to Directors, Partners and Sole Traders

■ Company Voluntary Arrangements

■ Liquidations and Administrations

■ Informal Arrangements with Creditors

FOREWORD

Bromley Council continues to play a proactive role to support businesses and the local economy, as we look to recover from the effects of pandemic. Over £80 million of business support grant funding has been distributed to local businesses during the pandemic to assist with different needs; not only where there has been hardship, but also to encourage innovation and to support badly affected sectors, such as the hospitality sector. Additional grants valued over £2.6m have recently been made available to support business startup, growth, cultural and the occupation of vacant units in the borough by existing businesses looking to expand, including inward investment opportunities.

The Open Bromley online support platform was initially established during the previous Covid lockdown to help businesses with the support and resources to reopen safely. However, we recognise the effects of the pandemic have been far-reaching and remain firmly focused on making sure the right foundations are in place to help

businesses recover, in order to make the best of available opportunities for growth. This is why the Council recently launched its ambitious Economic Development Strategy to support economic growth in the borough over the next ten years, as detailed on our website. The Bromley Economic Partnership has been re-organised and will oversee the execution of the ambitions in the new Strategy.

The local economy is key to how we live and we all have a role to play in helping businesses and residents prosper. There are many positive demographic, geographical, infrastructure-related and other factors that make Bromley a compelling place to locate or grow your business.

The Council is committed to supporting the growth of business and helping create an environment where businesses can succeed. Significant investment in the four main town centres has resulted in an improved shopping environment for customers and an improved trading environment for businesses located in these towns. The creation of Business Improvement District companies in Bromley, Orpington, Beckenham and Penge are examples of where businesses are working in partnership with the Council to make improvements to encourage investment into these areas.

The office sector is thriving with record rents being achieved in Bromley town centre and several requirements from major firms wanting to expand their operations in the borough or to establish offices in the borough for the first time. This is a great borough in which to do business, to live and enjoy life in so many ways.

As well as being home to successful hi-tech companies within the borough, who are competing within the global marketplace, our borough is also home

to many businesses that are smaller in size. In recognition of the need to champion smaller businesses, I am pleased to confirm that Councillor Hannah Gray is the Council’s Small Business Champion. To help with this, we have also launched Start Up Bromley, which is operating within some of our libraries and offers free support to new and existing business owners to help transform creative ideas into successful businesses. In addition, the Bromley Business Hub (www. bromleybusinesshub.org) is a new online enterprise hub, which also provides additional support for new start up or existing businesses as a one-stop shop. It contains many resources including blogs, free recruitment services, business directory and an events calendar.

The following pages provide an overview of our borough as a great place to do business. They also describe some of the initiatives, both ongoing and planned, to support business and develop our local economy. There are also several pages highlighting local businesses and organisations that have kindly supported this guide through advertising.

Please do make contact if you believe there are other ways that the Council could improve the way it supports businesses. We will always listen, as this is fundamental to sustaining relationships with our stakeholders, including business, to whom we remain totally committed.

WHILST RECENT TIMES HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING FOR ALL CONCERNED - INCLUDING BUSINESSES - OUR BOROUGH HAS REMAINED VERY MUCH OPEN FOR BUSINESS, DEMONSTRATED BY THIS BROMLEY BUSINESS GUIDE.

Councillor Peter Morgan Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing.

BROMLEY MEANS BUSINESS

The Economic Development Strategy (EDS) for the borough, sets out the Council’s aspirations regarding the local economy from 2021 to 2031. It shows that the Council is committed to supporting the economic prosperity of residents and to enable businesses to thrive, as well facilitate clean, sustainable economic growth.

A strong local economy is key to continuing prosperity in Bromley, underpinning the high quality of life which characterises the borough. Business owners and managers appreciate the borough’s excellent transport links, the availability of skilled staff, low crime levels and green surroundings. The borough enjoys all the benefits of being on the outskirts of Kent but is less than 30 minutes away from central London by rail.

Bromley scores highly in comparison with the rest of London in terms of its labour market, with high employment levels and high skills. Bromley has one of the largest borough economies south of the Thames with an economic scale above that of major cities such as Reading, Southampton and Oxford.

In recent years, the number of businesses located in the borough has grown steadily and now exceeds 15,000.

Most businesses operate in professional, scientific & technical; business admin & support; ICT; construction; transport; real estate; arts, entertainment & recreation; accommodation & food services; wholesale & retail trade sectors. These are mainly clustered in the three main town centres of Bromley, Orpington and Beckenham. However, there are also a

number of industrial and business parks, particularly in areas such as Crystal Palace, Lower Sydenham, Penge SE20 and the Cray Valley (with good connections to the M20 / M25), along with Biggin Hill.

Bromley has a close proximity to Gatwick airport, which is advantageous to businesses with existing international connections. The borough also has its own business airport at Biggin Hill, which is attracting aviation and high-tech related enterprises.

Bromley has sustained a broad cultural and tourism offer that attracts and leverages in economic prosperity, making the most of landmarks and assets across the borough. Moving forward, the borough intends to enhance the quantity and variety of features that draw tourists to Bromley from London and further afield.

BROMLEY IS LONDON’S LARGEST BOROUGH, OCCUPYING A STRATEGIC POSITION IN THE SOUTH EAST OF THE CAPITAL, WITH A MIX OF RURAL AREAS, LEAFY SUBURBS AND URBAN CENTRES.

USEFUL FACTS & FIGURES

A growing borough

• Population 332,800

• Bromley’s economy is comparable in scale to Oxford, Reading and Southampton

• Average earnings by residents in Bromley £611 p.w. (compared with London: £761 p.w., UK: £587 p.w.)

A working borough

• Working age population (16-64): 206,800

• Economically active (16+): 177,900 equivalent to 80.1% of working age population (equivalent proportion across London and 7th highest of the 21 Outer London Boroughs)

• In employment - 172,200

• Employees - 148,900

• Self-employed - 22,100

• Unemployed - 8,600 equivalent to 4.7% of economically active population (compared with 5.9% across London)

• 9.7% self-employment in Bromley (compared with UK: 9.9%)

• Economically inactive (16+): 42,100

• 62% of working age population employed as managers, directors, senior officials, associate professionals or in technical roles (compared with 63% across London)

• 15% administrative & secretarial roles and skilled occupations (which is the same figure across London)

• 14% caring, leisure & other service occupations, and sales & customer services (compared with 12% across London)

• 8% process plants, machine operative and elementary occupations (compared with 10% across London)

A connected borough

• 26 stations in Bromley

• Connections to Blackfriars, London Bridge, Charing Cross, Victoria, Waterloo, Lewisham, Dover. The Council continues to work with TfL and other industry partners (e.g Southeastern/Network rail) to develop deliverable and cost-effective solutions that offer fast, frequent and convenient services to meet the demand at an affordable cost.

• A21 - direct link to M25, Greenwich and Lewisham

• A20 - link to M20, leading to Folkestone and Dover

• Trams link Beckenham to Croydon, Merton, Sutton and Wimbledon

• 45 minutes’ drive to Gatwick

• 60 minutes’ drive to Heathrow

• Bromley’s Biggin Hill Airport provides executive aircraft handling and group charter flights

• Local cycle and pedestrian networks are being expanded to facilitate sustainable modes of travel. The Council, working with TfL, will continue to develop strategic cycle routes that support London’s strategic cycle network. During the initial three-year delivery plan, the proposed Greenwich to Kent House and Lower Sydenham to Bromley Quietways will be completed, including the Crofton Road scheme in Orpington. These are designed to be high-quality cycle routes that will contribute to unlocking demand for cycling across the borough where potential for cycling is highest and particularly, where they link to five of the borough’s main railway stations, thereby supporting cycle to rail. The Council is also working to deliver pedestrian improvements such as new and improved crossings as part of the cycle route schemes to support the Healthy Streets ambitions and encourage modal shift.

• The Council’s Digital Infrastructure Work Plan (DIWP) is being implemented as the primary document covering the facilitation and development of digital infrastructure in the borough (for provision of Full Fibre Broadband connectivity along with a Digital Toolkit for installation of Small Cells for 4G/5G)

Journey times in minutes

A learning borough

• 162 nurseries in Bromley

• 176 primary schools

• 19 secondary schools

• 6 special schools

• 14 independent schools

• 92% of schools in Bromley have been judged as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’

A living borough

• 70% of local homes are owner-occupied

• Average house price £411,000

A business borough

• 15,000+ businesses located in the borough and the top three industry groups are professional, scientific & technical; construction; and information & communication

• Over 86% of the enterprises in the borough are micro businesses with fewer than five employees. There are 45 large businesses with over 250 employees

• Bromley’s strongest employment sectors are human health & social care; followed by wholesale & retail/ motor trades; administrative & support services; and education. The proportion of employees in these sectors is greater than the London average.

YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY

The following large companies have their headquarters or a significant presence in the borough (as at June 2019):

• Archers Direct, Tour operator

• Bank of America, Banking

• Direct Line Group, Insurance

• JTL, Training

• MyTime Active, Leisure facilities

• Prospects Services, Education Management

BOOSTING BROMLEY’S BUSINESSES

Providing a supportive environment for new, relocating and established businesses is a high priority for Bromley Council. A number of support measures have recently been introduced to support businesses across the borough:

Start Up Bromley

Bromley Council launched the ‘Start Up Bromley’ programme in partnership with the British Library’s Business & IP Centre. It aims to develop a community of new business owners. The scheme is free to join and offers entrepreneurs professional insight, plus access to resources to help imagine, start, or develop their business.

Start Up Bromley operates within Bromley libraries, offering free support to both new and existing business owners to help transform creative ideas into successful businesses. Members can access a free support package which includes workshops, seminars, business lounge access and 1-2-1 support for aspiring or early stage entrepreneurs. The benefits include:

• Opportunities to meet and build networks of support, sharing updates on their entrepreneurial journeys

• Peer-to-peer sharing of resources, including contacts, skills, space, time and information to support the development of each other’s businesses

• Enable members to learn from successful local start-ups, established businesses and other professionals associated with the start-up ecosystem

The business facilities serve as a base for one-to-one business support, workshops, webinars, demonstrations, presentations and talks. Co-working space provides opportunities for startups to collaborate, exchange ideas and learn best practice.

Business lounges and facilities are currently available in Bromley Central, Orpington, along with Biggin Hill Libraries. (For further information visit: https://www.better.org.uk/library/london/ bromley/bromley-central-library/start-upbromley).

Bromley Business Hub

The Bromley Business Hub is a key online resource hub or ‘one stop shop’ for local businesses, providing or directing to current information, which will help local businesses, including entrepreneurs to start up, or innovate their business and grow within the London Borough of Bromley. Key services include a free recruitment database for local businesses to advertise job & apprenticeship vacancies; a free directory for small local businesses, sole traders and skilled, selfemployed residents to advertise their services or skills; an events calendar with links to webinars, training or live events; along with news & business blogs.

Businesses will also benefit from signposting to other key business support services such as Start Up Bromley and BIDs for extra help required; which will assist to better co-ordinate existing wider provision. Potential investors in the local economy will be interested in the section, which includes local information and demographic data, explaining why it makes good business sense to set up in the London Borough of Bromley.

Councillor Peter Morgan, Executive Member for Renewal, Recreation and Housing said: “This is an exciting online development that brings together so much information for our local businesses all in one place, and builds on the work we have already done in the past and during the pandemic. We have been liaising with key partners and interested groups to develop this resource and the training and development section is a key result of this consultation. We want to make sure that this resource offers what our local businesses and potential new businesses require to thrive in Bromley as part of our Economic Development Strategy.

We trust that business leaders will find this useful to develop and grow their businesses in the borough, benefiting the local economy and further enhancing our vibrant high street and job opportunities. We are extremely proud of the many businesses that operate throughout the borough and we want them to continue to thrive.

Business Grants

Over £2.6m in grants is available to provide further support to Bromley businesses. Businesses across the borough are encouraged to apply for the latest round of business support grants, with applications being accepted across four schemes for funds of up to £50k. These schemes were developed in consultation with business partners and are designed to assist local businesses with growth and COVID-19 recovery.

This latest £2.6m grant programme is part of the Government’s Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding, which the Council seeks to allocate based on the needs of local businesses and to best support the COVID-19 recovery.

Current schemes in the new round of funding include:

• Grant for occupying a vacant unitGrants valued between £25k - £50k are available for businesses looking to set up in a vacant unit within Bromley, including high street units, offices or industrial parks.

• Cultural Grants - between £2k and £20k is available to support cultural activities and events in the borough

being held by cultural and creative organisations or self-employed performers. Possible examples include: theatrical productions, family art activities, traditional live music, and further activities that attract visitors into Bromley’s town centres.

• Business Start-up during COVID Grant - Grants up to £10k will be made available to support existing start-up businesses in Bromley established from 1st January 2020 that have been impacted by COVID-19, in order to ensure these businesses thrive as a crucial part of Bromley’s economy.

The deadline for the grant for occupying a vacant unit is 31st December 2021 and the deadline for the other grants is 31st January 2022. Most schemes require a completed application form along with a proposal of up to 2,000 words.

For further details about how to apply visit: www.bromley.gov.uk/businessgrants

To find out when other business grant schemes become available please subscribe to the business newsletter at: https://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/200013/ business_support_and_advice/406/ bromley_business_e-bulletin.

These schemes were developed in consultation with business partners and are designed to assist local businesses with growth and COVID-19 recovery.

Improving Digital Connectivity of the Borough

Openreach Full Fibre Broadband Rollout

- The Council has agreed a Digital Charter with Openreach to support a faster rollout of ultrafast full fibre broadband for homes and businesses.

The partnership agreement follows Openreach’s aim to connect tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the borough and is part of a multimillion-pound investment to improve digital infrastructure, bringing ultrafast, ultra-reliable, future-proof connectivity to much of the borough. Thousands of homes and businesses in Orpington can already order a Full Fibre service through the provider of their choice, with more to come.

The Charter sets out commitments made by both the Council and Openreach, with the purpose of speeding up the delivery of Openreach’s Full Fibre deployment plans throughout Bromley. Commitments in the Digital Charter such as allowing for the application of retrospective highways permits, will grant Openreach the ability to streamline their planned works and ultimately allow them to connect more premises in less time.

As Openreach already has a significant amount of ducting within the borough, much of the work will be focused on rewiring, replacing copper wiring with fibre-optic cabling, meaning that digging and associated disruption will be kept to a minimum. To help ensure disruption is limited, the Digital Charter provides Bromley Council with assurances from Openreach to “carefully consider residential amenity and reduce noise and disruption as much as practical” for when undergoing occasional construction works.

Bromley Council is the first local authority in London to sign such an agreement, with the joint venture displaying Bromley Council’s willingness and ambition to improve digital connectivity throughout the borough.

4G/5G Small Cell Mobile Infrastructure

Technology - Bromley Council has signed an agreement with Freshwave, which will improve 4G mobile connectivity and allow for rapid 5G uptake in the future. The non-exclusive ‘open access’ approach helps speed up mobile technology adoption. UK network service provider Freshwave was the first to sign the agreement with the Council.

Bromley Council adopted the nonexclusive or ‘open access’ approach, championed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which enables all four mobile network operators (MNOs) to easily share the same digital infrastructure.

Having developed their digital infrastructure toolkit, which establishes the steps needed to engage with the council and the value of their street assets, Freshwave was the first to sign an agreement with the council to deploy small cells on behalf of an MNO. Thanks to the toolkit, it took less than two months to agree all aspects of the deployment. Bromley Council is the second council in London to take this pioneering open access approach to digital infrastructure. Parts of the borough of Bromley are benefiting from improved 4G mobile connectivity thanks to work by Bromley Council and Freshwave. The collaboration between the two organisations is enabling shareable small cell technology installed on councilowned assets, such as streetlights. Not only will this immediately enhance 4G mobile coverage, but it will also allow for rapid 5G adoption in the future. The deployment during the initial phase began in September 2021 and has enhanced 4G connectivity around Bromley Town and Orpington, as well as Penge High Street.

potentially including a variety of different office typologies which better reflect new ways of working, such as more modern flexible non-corporate office co-working and collaborative arrangements (e.g. transit, community workspaces, etc), in addition to the existing more traditional established corporate arrangements (e.g. with multiple individual desks, cubicles, executive offices, manager cabins, and designated areas for meetings, discussions, conference, video-conference, training and other events/activities). This also ensures that planning documents do not delay appropriate development investment, in order to boost the local economy.

The Council continues to maintain its commitment to investigate opportunities for:

i) working with landlords and businesses to activate vacant units, or ensure there is a ‘meanwhile’ offer during re-development cycles, particularly in high street locations which suffer from higher vacancy rates (such as High Streets For All Fund, Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG)/Innovation grants) and;

ii) exploring other opportunities for inward investment through additional support resources including other incentives and support packages such as grants, business rates relief and 1:1 concierge services/support.

For the latest information about business support initiatives, visit www.bromley.gov.uk/business or contact business@bromley.gov.uk

Commercial property services

The Council offers commercial premises for sale or to let and also provides a list of serviced offices and business centres.

The Council plays a key role in protecting commercial/employment space by utilising Article 4 Directions to remove office to residential demolition permitted development (PD) rights where appropriate.

It is also developing Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) for Bromley and Orpington Town Centres to provide guidance which will inform planning applications, help these areas adapt post-COVID-19 and facilitate the delivery of additional employment space,

HELP FOR YOUR BUSINESS

In addition to the Bromley Business Hub and Start Up Bromley support services mentioned; there is a dedicated business section available on the Bromley Council website to help you find information, guidance and contact details about services relevant to your business at: www.bromley.gov.uk/business

This means you can find out about our services and even download application forms at a time convenient to you.

Visit the Business pages for:

• Commercial property - details of properties owned by the Council and list of serviced offices and business centres.

• Tenders and contracts - contact details and procedures for selling to Bromley Council.

• Regulatory information - including advice and information on planning and licences.

• Town centres - about our town centres, BIDs and other town centre initiatives.

• Grants - includes discretionary and mandatory grant schemes provided both locally and by central government to support businesses (eg ARG Top Up - Business Growth, Cultural, Occupying a Vacant Unit, Start up during COVID, Pavement, Special Treatment Licence grants administered by the Council due to Covid-19 restrictions).

• Business Rates - including Small Business Rate Relief and other Reliefs.

• Managing waste - information on business waste and recyclingincluding a directory of recycling services.

• Bromley Business Directory online - containing thousands of local businesses - selectable by name, business activity and location. Also add your own business to the directory so potential customers can find you!

• Business support and advice - links and contacts for advice and guidance for new and established businesses.

• Networking opportunities and events - details of local networking organisations and business support events.

Business E-Bulletin

Our regular business support newsletter, containing relevant information about business news, events, workshops, grants and other support delivered straight to your inbox. To find out more and sign up please visit www.bromley.gov.uk/ business

The Business pages are updated all the time, so if there is something you can’t find or if you have any suggestions to help make these pages even more useful, please email: business@bromley.gov.uk

In addition to the services provided by the Council, local businesses should be aware of other opportunities to network with other businesses and access support. A selection of organisations and useful websites is shown as follows.

Business advice and support organisations

HM Revenue and customswww.gov.uk/browse/business

Information about starting up and running a business in the UK, including help if you are self employed or a sole trader. Includes

guidance on tax, national insurance, business rates, licensing and import / exports amongst many other subjects.

London Growth Hubwww.growthhub.london/

Learn more about how the Mayor of London can support you and your business.

London South East Collegeswww.lsec.ac.uk/professional-page

For advice, business skills training and ongoing support please contact the commercial team at London South East Colleges. Whether you are an employer or looking to set up a new business, London South East Colleges have a variety of courses to suit your individual needs. All the professional and training courses are developed in partnership with employers to ensure they are relevant to today’s job market and all lead to a recognised industry qualification.

Federation of Small Businesseswww.fsb.org.uk

Offers members a wide range of business services including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice in government.

Apply for a Start Up Loanwww.gov.uk/apply-start-up-loan

Business Advice Servicewww.icaew.com

A free initial advice from a Chartered Accountant - provided by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Business Growth Servicewww.greatbusiness.gov.uk/

Dedicated website providing information on all business support available from the UK government.

ActionCoachwww.actioncoach.co.uk

For local businesses in Bromley, ActionCoach offers a free 1:1 session from a leading business expert to help SMEs get more out of their business.

Business Doctors Bromleywww.businessdoctors.co.uk/businessconsultant/lawrence-wilson/

Business Doctors offers a free workshop for businesses looking to maximise returns while spending less time in the day to day running of the business.

Start Up Donuthttp://www.startupdonut.co.uk/

Free online business advice for starting up. Also contains useful information for existing business owners.

Local groups

1230 The Women’s Company Tel: 020 8650 8015 www.1230.co.uk email: admin@1230.co.uk

BBN

Tel: 01622 682 667 www.bbnetworking.co.uk

email: brian@bbnetworking.co.uk

Beckenham Together BID www.beckenhamtogether.co.uk

Business Network International www.bniselondon.co.uk

Business over Breakfast www.bobclubs.com/club/Bromley

Churchill Theatre Business Club https://churchilltheatre.co.uk/Online/ churchill-business-club?menu_ id=1FE43E19-874D-43A8-ABEF7C488F8B30FD

Federation of Small Businesses

Customer Services Helpline0808 2020 888 www.fsb.org.uk

Laptops and Lipsticks

Tel: 0203 137 8074 www.laptopsandlipstick.co.uk

Orpington 1st BID

Tel: 01689 829 527 www.orpington1st.co.uk

Penge SE20 BID

www.pengese20.co.uk

South East London Business Network (SELBN)

www.selondonbusinessnetwork.co.uk/ South East London Chamber of Commerce

Tel: 020 8317 3365

www.selondonchamber.org/ email: office@selondonchamber.org

Successful Mums

Tel: 020 8629 8771

www.successfulmums.co.uk/ email: hello@successfulmums.co.uk

Your Bromley BID www.yourbromley.com email: enquiries@yourbromley.com

Please note that the above is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Inclusion of any particular organisation or website should not be taken to denote endorsement by the London Borough of Bromley.

BROMLEY EDUCATION BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP

Bromley Education Business Partnership, (Bromley EBP) part of the London Borough of Bromley’s Youth Support Programme, signposts and supports young people to gain new skills and experiences. Through real-life contact with professionals from business and the community, we help them understand and be better prepared for their future. With over 20 years’ experience, we have built strong links with employers who can help to boost young people’s motivation, attitude and their understanding of the world of work.

Through their CSR programme, employer partners can give back to the local community by supporting one day employability events for young people (16-18) either as individuals or as a team. We undertake all the liaison, preparation and organisation to make it as easy as possible for busy people to get involved. We are also always looking for local employers to host young people on work experience and provide lots of help and support to make sure this happens successfully. You might know someone who could make a great mentor for a young person by meeting them on a regular basis to encourage and support them through some of the challenges they face.

Find out more how you can get involved at our website https://www.bromleyebp. org.uk/

Bromley MyTime support Bromley EBP.

Direct Line Group support our events through their CSR programme.

Bromley Education Business Partnership

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS (BIDS)

Your Bromley BID

Culture

Introduction

The council helped facilitate the initial set up of four BIDs in the area and works closely with them on an ongoing basis. Each BID is a notfor-profit organisation funded by the local l businesses in the town who have voted to invest together to improve their environment.

Your Bromley, the business partnership for Bromley town centre, won a successful second term in early 2021. This means businesses in Bromley have supported another five-year term for Your Bromley. Over the next five years Your Bromley will focus on three key areas that have been identified through research and consultation with the businesses of Bromley:

1 Culture - projects that celebrate local heritage, arts, wellness and events

2 Environment - initiatives that help increase security, drive sustainability and bring more greenery to the town centre

3 Engagement - a new destination brand and website will be developed, regular footfall driving events will take place and CSR initiatives will be supported.

Much of this work is already underway. Since the reballot, Your Bromley has already:

• Commissioned a two-month book bench trail that will encourage town centre visitors to explore, with three benches specially commissioned to celebrate Bromley cultural figures; David Bowie, Enid Blyton and Charles Darwin.

Environment

• Worked with the Refill London scheme to sign up Bromley businesses to offer free water refills to members of the public. Your Bromley held a one-day sustainability event on the High Street to promote this by displaying a sea turtle sculpture made entirely of discarded single use plastic and designed to encourage people to refill and reuse

• Committed to continue our Ambassador service offering assistance and directions to town centre visitors, and reporting environmental issues to those responsible for maintenance

• Continued our free business recycling service and our regular chewing gum jet washing

Engagement

• Created a summer events programme that has already seen Bromley Floral Fest take to the High Street. 30 primary schools displayed beautiful planters and celebrity judge Charlie Dimmock had to make some difficult decisions over winners. The second week of The Championships, Wimbledon, were also shown free of charge on a big screen in the town centre

• A Food Festival is being planned for September to celebrate Bromley’s vibrant food and drink businesses and to support the hospitality sector.

• Carried out research to better understand what Bromley means to its residents, workers and visitors and used these findings to start developing an exciting new brand and website for the town centre that represents the personality and identity of Bromley. These are due to be launched Autumn 2021.

Over the coming months and years Your Bromley will continue to focus on these areas with initiatives including:

Culture

• Providing “Instagrammable” moments across the town with a new performance and events area, our annual summer events festival and

a vacant unit project to celebrate art and famous faces from Bromley.

• The popular Christmas lights display and switch-on events and installations to mark key occasions such as Remembrance Day.

• A new wellness programme for Bromley employees, encompassing fitness events and social activities.

Environment

• Our sustainability event raising awareness of the impact of single use plastic was just the beginning for Your Bromley. Expect to see more events and initiatives to continue to drive this message.

Engagement

• The reveal of our brand-new destination brand and website alongside a continued and expanding events programme.

• Networking events for businesses.

• Quarterly printed newsletters and eight monthly e-shots a year to businesses.

• Being a voice for the town centre, lobbying on behalf of businesses on a range of issues from business rates to proposed developments in the town centre.

Andy Bawn, Your Bromley Chair, said, “We have delivered huge improvements to Bromley town centre during our first term. We made the town centre safer with over 4,000 hours of additional policing and recovered over £30,000 worth of stolen stock and have run a successful street ambassador service. We made the town centre smarter with chewing gum cleaning, hanging baskets, free recycling and Christmas lights. We made Bromley more prominent through our events programme and we supported businesses with networking events, a job portal, digital and printed newsletters and more. We are delighted that we now have another five years to make even more of a difference to Bromley town centre.”

Frances Forrest, BID Manager, added, “Bromley has something for everyone - from great shopping and food and drink to being the home of some major businesses. Bromley has great transport links plus a variety of beautiful green spaces. We’re working hard to enhance Bromley town centre even further, adding to its appeal and bringing even more people into the area to live, shop, work and be entertained.”

Orpington Christmas Event

Orpington 1st BID

Eight years since becoming the first Business Improvement District (BID) in the borough, Orpington 1st continues to work on behalf of its business community to make the town centre better for business through a range of projects and services.

Its in-house magazine, website and strong social media presence, alongside regular face to face contact with levy payers, allows the BID to communicate with all town centre users.

Orpington 1st continues to broaden its programme of customer events, the most recent addition being a Literary Festival, to both entertain visitors and encourage additional footfall.

The town is undergoing significant redevelopment and the role of the BID is adapting to include a stronger focus on

inward investment and place-shaping. As customer patterns change the town needs to reflect modern trading and have a greater mix of leisure activities. There is a strong experience culture with visitors to town centres wanting and expecting to be entertained.

The BID is leading on a ‘Meanwhile space’ initiative, ensuring creative use of empty commercial premises during redevelopment and showcasing the opportunities for improved community use.

By partnering with the site owners, local authority and community groups, Orpington 1st will have additional community provision and new pop-up shops will encourage start-ups and support business development, making the town better for business.

Beckenham Together BID

Beckenham is a thriving, leafy suburb in close proximity to Central London. It’s a great place to shop, eat and drink. It also makes a good location for business, due to its busy transport hub, with several train stations, tram services and bus routes.

The high street is a mix of independent, specialist retailers and chain stores with a variety of restaurants, cafés and bars; as well as plenty of green space, along with good schools.

The Beckenham Together BID commenced in 2018. Since its inception, the BID has delivered new and updated Christmas lights for the town, offering a Christmas Light switch on and an Ice Rink over the Christmas period. In the summer we have Screen on the Green, showing Wimbledon fortnight by day and family films by night. We have brought Easter and Halloween trails to the High Street and will continue with these into 2022.

The Clockhouse Celebrates events will be back in 2022, following a break due to the COVID pandemic.

Beckenham Together has sponsored an accessibility audit for wheelchair users, which has been carried out in Beckenham for wheelchair users to be able to access retail premises in the town. We are currently sourcing a supplier to provide portable ramps to our businesses, who have requested a ramp to enable ease of access for those with restricted mobility, into their premises.

The website www.beckenhamtogether. co.uk is under regular review and we are always looking for new content. Hence, if you would like to contribute an article, please email us at hello@beckenhamtogether.co.uk

Penge SE20 BID

Penge is a bustling small town with a wide variety of local shops and restaurants, including a unique mix of history, along with traditions. The town has an amazing art trail that is being added to on a regular basis and attracts visitors from far and wide. Penge has excellent transport links – London Bridge and Victoria stations can be reached in around 20 minutes by train, along with Bromley, as well as Croydon in just 10 minutes.

The High Street has been freshened up with support from the London Borough of Bromley and many of the independent retailers have benefitted from grants to part-fund new shop signage. We have also installed new notice boards and litter bins. New Christmas Lights are on their way too.

Penge SE20 BID continues to operate Easter and Halloween trails to bring the community together, along with Pengemas, plus Pengefest; as well as supporting Penge Day as a partner.

Penge SE20 BID works to enhance the development of the High Street

area that includes some of the larger chains as well as plenty of independent specialist retailers. It also benefits from free parking at the Blenheim Shopping Centre, the only high street in the borough that currently offers that every day of the week.

Penge SE20 BID has been instrumental in providing a Shop Safe radio system for retailers meaning they can share information about shoplifters and antisocial behaviour at the press of a button. This makes the streets safer for retailers and shoppers. We also have a contract with First Mile, an organisation that disposes of business waste in an ethical way. All BID levy payers get their first roll of sacks free.

Penge SE20 BID continues to work on behalf of all its members and we would be delighted to hear from you, either with direct questions, or feedback, including ideas for Penge.

For further information on all Penge SE20 BID activities go to our website https://pengese20.co.uk/ or make contact via email  manager@pengebid.co.uk.

Thanks to its beautiful setting, great choice of meeting rooms and convenient location just outside Bromley, The Warren makes the perfect setting for corporate events of all types. From board meetings to annual conferences and awards ceremonies to galas, the venue offers the flexibility and the versatility you need to make your next event a real success.

In addition, we are able to provide several different venues for private hire for any special occasion – from weddings & anniversaries, to celebrations of all kinds from christenings through to private family occasions such as birthday parties, in our intimate restaurant or dinner dances in the Coney Room.

The Warren, with its picturesque grounds, is the perfect place to host your event. Our Events Management team is here to assist you in planning your chosen event and we are here to help you from the first enquiry, to the day of the function itself, ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

The Warren – Open for business, weddings and celebrations of all kinds!

EVENTS & PRI VA TE DINING I CANAPÉS I WEDDINGS I COPORA TE EVENTS

At Salt and Slate catering we offer our clients a carefully planned and considered Fine Food Experience, whether this is an intimate dinner, product launch, press day, wedding, milestone celebration or corporate occasion. Our team at Salt and Slate have passion, creativity, and unique ideas when designing and planning your special event. We work closely with our clients to ensure an optimal solution tailored to your individual requirements.

”

Adam Riccoboni Managing Director, Critical Future

At the heart of our product is our passion for seasonal offerings. We incorporate the best the land has to of fer, sourcing our produce locally and sustainably from independent suppliers and local farmers. That cuts down on food miles and delivers a fresher experience for our customers. The team can cater for anything from a breakfast meeting for 15 to a sit-down dinner for 1,000. Our client list is as diverse as our food, ranging from loyal locals in Hayes to large corporations, politicians even members of our Royal Family

Delivering fine food with a service of excellence is our reputation. Our team of professionals are dedicated to ensuring your event is very special and beyond expectations. We serve an extensive geographical radius encompassing Central London, South London and Kent, including Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells.

Sample Menus can be provided once your requirements have been discussed extensively. Our aim always is to provide you with an event to be remembered by everyone attending as one of the best functions ever!

WW W. SAL TA NDSL AT E. CO .U K

“I WA S EXTREMELY PLEA SED WITH THE WORK SALT AND SLATE DID FOR OUR CORPORATE EVENT. THE FOOD WA S DELICIOUS, THE SERVICE EXCELLENT AND THE APPROACH HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL. I AM VERY HAPPY TO RECOMMEND

TOWN PLANNING

We undertake projects of all types and sizes including assessments of the development potential of land and buildings, the preparation and submission of planning applications and appeals, both small and large scale housing developments and commercial proposals of all kinds.

Our aim is to provide our clients with a first class planning and development consultancy service.

Sarsearon Consulting is a data protection advice and an administrative support service which has been helping customers since 2018 and offers an excellent customer service to individuals and Business to Business customers.

Sarsearon Consulting aims to provide small medium and large enterprises (SMEs) with a comprehensive data protection advice package and a structured functional business administration framework

Our vision is to better understand our customers’ need thereby utilising our skills and knowledge to provide you with an accurate and timely service. Our mission is to ensure that customers’ needs are met while adding value to your processes.

We will work with you to remove onerous administrative tasks and above all give you back your time to concentrate on your key business objectives.

Creating a culture of high expectations

A leading independent co-educational day and boarding school offering high academic standards, excellent pastoral care and a wide extra-curricular programme within a supportive Christian environment Co-education: Juniors 3–11, Seniors 11–16, Sixth Form 16-18

Energy saving

Switching off non-essential equipment in an office overnight saves enough energy to run a small car for 100 miles.

Saving energy saves you money, protects your reputation and helps combat climate change.

Your organisation could save up to 10% through housekeeping actions which cost little or nothing.

Source: www.carbontrust.co.uk

Let’s

The UK uses 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard every year, enough to fill the Albert Hall once every 33 hours.

Source: Confederation of Paper Industries

www.wrap.org.uk/rec

only print if we have to , and print double sided if we can.

IT’S LOCAL BROMLEY ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY

/LBBromley www.bromley.gov.uk /LBofBromley

If you are a business located in Bromley and would like to be included in the online directory, please visit www.itslocalbromley.co.uk and click on the ‘Add Company’ link. It’s free to be included.

• It’s a web-app for all devices

• Find business services by keyword or company name

• Map, directions and nearby Streetview

• Direct links to businesses’ social media networks and websites

• FREE for Bromley businesses to be listed

• No download or install to worry about

• Register your business for FREE at www.itslocalbromley.co.uk

www.itslocalbromley.co.uk

Notes: ‘its local bromley’ is compatible with most web browsers, including Google Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 9 and above)

Prestige Cars Kent Service Centre is based in Orpington in Kent. Our Service Centre boasts a 13ramp workshop, we have shor t lead times and the latest diagnostic equipment to help maintain all makes and models.

With main dealer trained technicians, our mechanics at the Prestige Cars Kent Service Centre have decades of combined experience