West End giants attack car charge

Some of London's top names in hotels, restaurants and stores are uniting against the introduction of a congestion charge.

They even claim they may have to quit their prestigious locations if business suffers as a result.

Claridge's, the London Marriott Hotel, Quaglino's, Tiffany and Company, Christie's, St James's Club and Sotheby's are among those who say they are under threat from the scheme that will force drivers to pay £5 to enter central areas of the capital in a year's time.

But dozens of small businesses also claim they will struggle when the charge is introduced.

Today they called on Mayor Ken Livingstone to scrap or postpone his scheme "before taking any action that could eventually lead to the lessening of London's standing as a major capital city".

Leading businesses say they may be forced to relocate from prestigious addresses in Bond Street, Jermyn Street and St James's. Others fear their costs will rocket as the cost of essential deliveries increases and charges for maintenance of equipment and premises rise.

Many fear that the weekday charge will drive valuable customers to shop in other areas of London, although the Mayor insists his scheme will have "minimal impact" on retail businesses - and that it may help them by cutting congestion.

Today three leading associations representing 368 businesses called on Mr Livingstone to mount a major rethink. They surveyed members and 74 per cent claimed they would be adversely affected by congestion charging.

The Bond Street, Jermyn Street, and Mayfair and St James's Associations say they back attempts to clean up pollution but claim this can be achieved only through a "viable integrated and cheap public transport alternative".

The association's letter states: "We are within the most prestigious area of the country and have some of the most famous shops, hotels and businesses in the world, which, if they were to relocate would certainly leave London without claim as the leading capital of Europe."

The groups say public transport won't cope with commuters switching from cars to trains, buses and the Tube and that they will lose staff because of "difficulty in travelling".

A spokesman for the Mayor's office said: "One of the single most damaging problems harming London's status as a world city is traffic congestion - the Mayor believes that something should be done to tackle it.

"Our own research and the practical experience of the only other comparable scheme in the world, Singapore, shows that congestion charging has a minimal initial impact on retail businesses and a long-term beneficial gain, thanks to easier movement of both customers and deliveries."

'We'll suffer as customers stay away'