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Worcester BID, the company which aims to boost trade in the city centre are celebrating today after businesses gave them the thumbs up to continue for another 5 years.
The result means that over £2 million worth of investment will take place over the next 5 years on city centre initiatives. New projects include more marketing of the city centre, spending on reducing the number of gulls in the city centre, the introduction of hanging baskets, more free training and networking events as well as schemes to reduce overheads including trade waste.
The results of a 28 day postal ballot for which 643 businesses were asked to vote were announced with 65% of those voting willing to pay a levy to fund the delivery of a set of projects to help their own and the city centre’s economy. A majority was required both by number and by the aggregate rateable value of those voting. There was a 50.2% turnout with 323 businesses voting. The ballot was conducted independently by Electoral Reform Services.
A Business Improvement District (BID) can operate for a maximum 5 year period and since starting trading in 2010, the Worcester BID have won or been shortlisted for 5 national awards including its work to get people back into the city during and after the floods earlier this year. They were also shortlisted for their entry in the recent High Street of the Year Awards.
Nicki Williams, Chairman of Worcester BID said ‘We are delighted that the majority of businesses who took time to vote and have their say have decided that they want the BID to continue and deliver the projects that they wanted to see. Businesses had the opportunity to help shape the future of the city centre through our consultation events and exercises in the summer and we believe that all sectors which make up this fantastic location will benefit.’
Head of Worcester BID, Adrian Field added ‘The BID staff and Board members who are made up of people from city centre businesses have worked extremely hard in the last 4½ years to make Worcester a place which has overcome the economic downturn better than the vast majority of other places in the country. The Foodie Festival, Motor Festival, introduction of RingGo Pay for Parking, new fingerpost signage, business overhead reduction schemes, funding for CityNet and NightSafe anti crime groups, Christmas promotional campaigns and our popular Uniquely Yours book to promote independent businesses for example have all been delivered as a result of the Worcester BID. It is the businesses who make a BID successful and we are really pleased that they have clearly indicated their support for the next 5 years as there is still a lot of work to be done in order to compete with other centres.
The current BID term finishes in March 2015 and more information on the BID including the projects it delivers can be found at www.worcesterbid.com
