FOR the past four-and-a-half years Hammersmith London has been working to regenerate the area and help it survive the financial recession. GREG BURNS spoke to development director Patricia Bench about the challenges facing businesses in Hammersmith and her hopes for further success.

BOOSTING business in Hammersmith, keeping the area looking clean and tidy and helping to provide more police and CCTV on the streets.

Sounds like a tough remit for any organisation but is the one being tasked at the door of Hammersmith London.

A small team of just five people they were voted in and funded by retailers and companies in the area in 2006 to deliver a business improvement district (BID).

Led by development director Patricia Bench, a former H&F and Ealing London Chamber of Commerce representative, the BID gives local industry the chance to work together and create a thriving local economy.

She said: "The BIDs are a North American model of town centre management and it has been in this country for about six years.

"We are basically a mini-council for the businesses. We are voted in by the businesses and have a term of office which is set for five years. And we are in year five so we will be going to review next spring.

"It is about giving people a reason to visit Hammersmith town centre and once they are there to stay there. It is a simple formula and we want to make the place feel more energised and attractive. We want people to come here and spend money locally."

The global recession has hit big business hard across the world but has also left smaller companies struggling to keep their heads above water.

But Hammersmith appears to have ridden the storm caused by the economic downturn and much of that success can be credited to Hammersmith London.

Mrs Bench said: "We knew about Westfield and knew it was coming five years ago but we didn't know the recession was coming so we had a real hit.

"Potentially it was catastrophic but it has not been that way at all. We have weathered it a lot better than other town centres.

"There are empty units but most units are occupied. There is some empty office space but compared to the national average we are sitting quite pretty."

The only experience many people who work in the area may have of Hammersmith is the walk from the tube station to their office each day.

But by creating a vibrant atmosphere and giving workers the facilities and services to explore what is on offer, Hammersmith London have managed to help bring in much needed business.

Mrs Bench added: "Hammersmith station is one of the busiest stations on the network and rather than people just dipping in and out we want them to stay. It is very tempting to just want to go home after work but we need the options there for people.

"Small differences can make a huge change to an area. We put deckchairs out in Lyric Square and it is small in the grand scheme of things. But it has made such a difference to the feel of the place and summer in Hammersmith.

"We are in middle of our summer festival and had a big screen for Wimbledon and film nights and that was hugely popular with the fantastic weather we have had.

"We are not just a retail centred organisation. Most of our clients are from the office sector and so we provide events and benefits for the office companies.

"We put on subsidised yoga and pilates at lunchtimes and smokers cessation groups which saw something like 100 people giving up smoking which is incredible."

As a completely independent body, Hammersmith London will anxiously wait and see if they are handed another five year term of office by businesses in April.

But they are confident that the work they have put in over the past four-and-a-half years will show they can make even greater strides during a second term.

Mrs Bench said: "If you are retailer, or own a pub or a restaurant then you know we are going to regenerate the area around your business. If you are the office sector you want something interesting to do during lunchtime and after work then we can do that too.

"Our next aim is to improve our evening activities and encourage people to spend time after work in Hammersmith.

"If you work for a BID then you really have to want to change an area and improve it and see opportunities to make things better and we all do.

"If we get another five years we have some fantastic plans. If we do not then all everything we have been doing will just stop.

"There is no way the council could afford to or politically be seen to be doing the stuff we are doing at the expense of public services so it would all just end which would be a real shame.

"We have done well but we can't just sit by and think we are doing fantastic. It is key that we continue our hard work and keep trying to get people to move into the area.

"We talk to the businesses every day and we hope they will see the good work we are doing and decide to give us another term."