Life during lockdown

We are a group of Cambridge University students who are developing a platform to help local businesses in our community survive and then thrive. We are looking for London Mayor support in helping us realise this vision. Any help to implement this would be greatly appreciated- its a not for profit initiative. 

 http://business.localing.co.uk/

Suspend congestion and zone charges until the end of the year. Also, when re-instated it should be for the same hours as now rather than until 10pm.

Ongoing monthly business support grants for retailers until all the schools go back to regular attendance as people can’t travel to work and stay at home to look after their children.

Also the furlough scheme - it's little help to offer 50% of furlough to employees and the employer has to pay 50% of this when trade is so so slow. I run a small business and the furlough scheme is great for now but when it changes to 50% contribution, we wont' be able to afford to paythis so staff will have to be laid off ormade redundant. Financial help for small businesses should be available UNTIL schools return as many many businesses rely on schools for business and with them shut until at least Sept, this puts us in a very difficult situation

I have two suggestions. Firstly the Mayor and the GLA could mount a London-wide ‘Shop Local’ campaign to encourage people to use their local shops. This would have the double benefit of supporting small businesses and helping to reduce the use of public transport.

Secondly the Mayor could revive the grants given out under the shop fronts improvement programme. Despite the Government’s support measures some shops are not going to re-open because of the prolonged loss of trade. Empty shops bring an area down but previous experience of the shop front improvement programme shows that fresh and attractive facades can help provide a more positive image of a town centre and boost trade.

Husbands business doing flooring and carpeting in hotels has been suspended as it's not essential, however some global hotel chains have refused to pay invoices for works that were completed prior to Covid. The business is a one man band and some sub-contractors and is at risk of going to the wall because large corporations won't pay what's owed which will have a substantial impact on personal finances. It would be nice to see larger businesses fulfill their obligations and be held accountable. 

Please more help for small businesses. I run a small business with my partner and it's just the two of us in it, we are both company directors. Our clients are mostly in the entertainment and hospitality industries and have postponed all the work we had lined up for the year. We were facing no income for the company and therefore no way to pay ourselves. We pay ourselves just enough to live on anyway, and we can't both be furloughed as then we wouldn't be allowed to do anything to promote or support the company so it would be detrimental to business. Also 80% of our wages isn't enough to live on for a month. We haven't paid our full wages in two months. We top up our wages with dividends to cover our rent, and as this amount totals to be still less than minimum wage, we are struggling. There's no help for company directors because everyone assumes they're rich or can take money out the company, but when the company has very little in it, and it's your only source of income or work, we're sort of left in the dark. We have literally had to take out credit cards and rely on occasional donations from our parents at this time, when it should have been a very prosperous year for us, we are now getting into debt.

Can the Mayor please suspend the impostition of the extended ULEZ due to come into force next April?

This dramatic  forthcoming charge to be imposed on all older vehicles, some quite fuel efficient, imposes a huge burden upon families, individuals and businesses. We will have to scrap perfectly good working vehicles, as £12 per day simply isn't affordable as a charge for using your car. I use my car as little as possible, but once in a while it is really useful for my business as a self employed artist, to transport works and materials, when no other means are available. I also use it once a month to visit my parents who live in a rural location remote from a train station.

It is an unnecessarily punitive measure. We have reduced car use as much as we possibly can, and cycle or use public transport, but this is too punitive, especially with the economic hardships brought by the pandemic.

The quiz only focused on my ability to manage financially for the next three months. But. I have lost my business premises as I could not afford the high rent with no clients. It is after this 3 month period I will be strughling to get back into business and find new premises. Plus, as I do not pay business rates but rent to a provider, due to my receiving a pension, I do not fit the the criteria for getting any benefit. I am in a catch 22 situation and one group who will go under .

You can tell me how can I get shoes for my son who has additional needs. Who wears aesthetics, and is in pain. How can he exercise with no footwear? 

Nobody reply Amazon, or online shoes.

It's all well and good saying the internet offers ABC. It's not physical support a way to explain. Nobody in government can explain this or help.

We  can't  run before we walk we need to be careful yet there has to be a way to make provisions.  We also need to be more self sufficient and careful still a lot of waste 

Government Is wasting not one mp has taken a pay cut or given any money over. They bail out companies that don't need it.  London has come together again only a few let the side down mainly the legal criminals  in power. 

Why are we the public key workers every day people, having to suffer for the government monumental lockup again and again 

No matter what, we have to get businesses open, other wise there is no tax coming in, no money to pay pensions, a huge disaffected population with no work - remember "The Devil finds work for idle hands"!!!  (If that means we have to put people at risk, then I'm afraid that's the way we have to go for the greater common good. Mass migration, and starvation result in wars and conflicts, because we have too many people on the planet to be fed and cared for.

Agree with Lesray, Rockcylist and others: many more businesses should be allowed to open as long as they can provide some distancing for customers. I think cafés and even pubs with beer gardens should re-open to offer social-distanced, al fresco operation. And, if it's safe to go to Tesco or B&Q, why not book shops, electrical stores and garden centres? There's no discernible logic to the current situation. I too am more worried about the economic effects of the lockdown than I am of the virus. As Lesray notes, if Germany can work out a way of safely reopening its art galleries and museums, why can't we? I reckon social distancing at the V&A would be much easier/more effective than it is at my local M&S. Let's restart our cultural life ASAP.

They could provide support to businesses who are not covered by business rates relief. For example my physiotherapy clinic sent me an email to say that they were finding it difficult to survive and that their income had reduced by 90%. They are now having to crowdfund in order to survive.  

The 'high street' was under pressure before the lock down and the fundamental issues it faces are likely to be worse in whatever is 'after' - although the entrepreneurial adaptability of many smaller businesses is to be commended. The large retailers are a separate issue and will continue to face the consequences of the extraction of 'value' from their assets by the lease back arrangements they did in easier times. 
I think it would be a mistake to seek to resurrect the old high street model. Thought should be given to careful changes to the planning rules to allow a more mixed approach to the use of buildings and to encourage smaller businesses to innovate , community interest groups to flourish and people to use space differently.  Some relaxation of taxes/ rates during the innovation period might be needed.....which all begs the question- what do we have to give up so that public finances can afford this? 
 

Create al fresco dining areas - remove car parking and driving from streets to create safe enjoyable spaces to walk/cycle/chat/drink. People who cycle and walk use local businesses more - which is much better for society. Register ricksahws properly to enable those with genuine walking difficulties to get about. Keep the clean air which we are currently enjoying, the lack of noise and the ability for children to be able to cycle safely. 

I think many more businesses should be allowed to open as long as they can provide some distancing for customers. I want to see all my favourite independent cafes reopening, even if only as a take-away service. Similarly, why can't book shops, dry cleaners, garden centres and shoe shops reopen? I'm far more worried about the long-term economic effects of the lockdown than I am of the virus. And if Germany can work out a way of safely reopening its art galleries and museums, why can't we?

I love Abby's suggestions and would endorse all of them apart from opening up a lido or swimming pool just yet, since I think that might be difficult to manage

One possible victim of COVID-19 our high streets. Many shops won't reopen.

Given how important they are socially, they need to be reinvented, possibly as leisure/ socialising/ education space - and yes, I have no problem with government/co-ops doing the heavy lifting there. For example, heavily regulating rents on such spaces!

Ideas include - communal living rooms (with sofas, drinks, and TV screens)?;

- train-set games rooms for dads and kids?;

- homework/ learning hubs for kids and parents?;

- libraries (god forbid!);

- exercise studios for all?;

- hairdresser coffee shops;

- estate agent bars;

- restaurant discos?

It would be appalling if the high street just died...