Burnham urged to boost West End with tax cuts and extra policing

The West End risks losing its status as one of the world’s best shopping and hospitality destinations without immediate action to cut tax and boost policing, Andy Burnham has been warned. The New West End Company (NWEC), which represents 800 businesses involved in the world-famous district, has urged the government to slash business rates and invest in a new retail crime agency to boost the area’s growth. The group of businesses said the district’s huge tax bill makes it a driver of economic growth across the UK, but they warned it could lose out on investment to rival cultural hubs like Paris, Tokyo and New York. Dee Corsi, chief executive of the industry body, told City AM: “The West End is not only an engine for economic growth in London but drives economic output for every part of the UK. “This collection of 800-plus businesses within a 20-minute walking radius makes an overwhelming and disproportionate contribution to the national economy, and together creates a des