Invest West London

West London at MIPIM 2010

A dynamic area for business

West London : A diverse area where blue chip corporate giants work with fast-paced, knowledge-driven enterprises, and internationally renowned centres of commerce sit comfortably alongside a mix of urban and suburban residential communities.

Download a map of the West London area

Positioned between the historic economic powerhouse of central London and the "new wave" high growth businesses of the Thames Valley region, a West London location offers unique advantages for a range of businesses.

Road Access

West London is served by a network of major roads and motorways that make it one of the most accessible business centres in the UK. The M4, M40, M25 and M3 all feed into West London, providing easy access to Wales, the Midlands, the Home Counties and the rest of London.

The A4, A40, A406, A30 and A5 provide West London with a strong arterial road system, providing easy access to London and the major motorway routes.

Rail

West London benefits from excellent rail links for both long distance trips and daily commuting from the surrounding areas.

The main lines from London to the South West, Wales, the Midlands and North West pass through West London, giving excellent links to some of the UK's most important cities and business centres.

Air

Heathrow is the world's busiest international airport with 64 million international passengers per year.

Over 90 airlines serve 160 destinations, operating an average of 1,250 flights a day. Links to Europe and the United States are particularly strong with 33 flights to Paris and 23 flights to New York every day.

Terminal 5, currently under construction, is expected to handle over 30 million passengers a year.

Tube

The area is served by seven out of the twelve London Underground lines, connecting with buses and local rail to link all residential and business districts.

The Central Line begins in West Ruislip and offers a travelling time of only 1 hour 30 minutes to Epping on the eastern side of Greater London, a journey of 54 miles and 36 stations.

The Piccadilly Line serves Heathrow Airport and during peak hours runs 76 trains on the line.

There are 81 tube stations in West London serving an area from Harrow to Hammersmith and Ealing to Earls Court.

People

30% of the West London workforce are qualified to degree level or equivalent.

In the West London sub-region, more 16-year-olds continue in full-time education than the London and national average.

Businesses seeking staff can take advantage of the large catchment area across London and the South East.

There is a population of 20 million people within a 150 mile (240km) radius of West London.

Economy

West London has 51,000 VAT registered businesses. Since the mid 1990s, West London has enjoyed a growth rate of 3.9% per annum, making a major contribution to London's economy. West London is a home for entrepreneurial success. Of the 780,000 people employed in West London, two-thirds work in small and medium-sized businesses.

New business success rates are higher than the London average, highlighting the verve of the start-up culture in the area. West London has 17% of all London's jobs. The high-growth sectors of business services, media, research & development, and high value-added manufacturing are strongly represented in West London. The growing media cluster in West London accounts for 29,000 jobs.