Description: Hatton garden is the historic jewellery quarter of central London and is home to a number of businesses trading wholesale and retail in gold, silver and diamonds.

Issue: In recent years there has been growing pressure from other uses in the area, which sits in a commercially strategic location between the City of London and the West End, and concern that the special qualities of the jewellery quarter would be lost as a result. The City Fringe area as a whole has the largest concentration of employment in the UK, however, this largely comprise people who do not live in the area. 34% of residents are from minority ethnic communities and each ward is ranked in the top 4% most deprived, according to the DETR Index of Local Conditions. In social, economic and environmental terms, there is little evidence of the area’s proximity to the country’s largest concentration of employment, wealth and opportunity. In Hatton Garden, the working population outnumbers the resident population by nearly 10 to 1.

Strategy: The Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme (HERS) was awarded in 2000. This is a three year scheme designed to enhance the historic fabric of the jewellery quarter, improve the economic viability of individual businesses, create an attractive customer environment and strengthen the role of the area as a visitor attraction. The scheme also serves to encourage property owners to improve buildings in the Hatton Garden Conservation Area. The English Heritage funding for this scheme totalled £61,335 and was supplemented by a further £171,754 of partnership funding.

Outcome: The scheme is currently underway and a number of projects are expected to start on-site in the near future. The projects which have been completed are already demonstrating improvements to the quality of the environment and benefits to local businesses. It has delivered improvements to 5 buildings and the creation of 10 jobs so far.