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As interest in business improvement districts soars, Robert Bond from the Surveyor magazine writes 'Back the BIDs'.
BID news article [746KB]
BID projects prioritised
A business planning event in February involving over 60 city centre businesses prioritised 50 potential BID projects that were identified from the retail survey conducted in Autumn 2003. A real time voting system ensure that every individual retailer had their say.
A spokesperson said "I have really enjoyed being involved in the BID planning process in Plymouth which is unique in allowing retailers to vote on the projects that we want implemented. The emerging business plan has been developed by retailers and will help my business by attracting more high spending shoppers from outside the city boundary".
Retailers vote on BID projects
Below illustrates those projects that were identified as most important to be delivered by the BID, in order of priority:
- Drake Circus - PR strategy
- Ambassadors training
- Power washer
- Security presence
- Square - Frankfort Gate
- Regional marketing
- Clean Team
- Park and ride
- Squares - Cornwall Street
- Safer car parks
- Car park signage
- Larger litter bins
- Square - New George Street
- PARC
- Events
- Pay on exit
- Car park cleansing
- Christmas lights
- CCTV operator
- Website
- Subsidised car parking
- Buildings lighting
- Litter enforcement
- Ambassadors - uniform/training
- CCTV - surface car parks
- Public conveniences
- Branding
- Signage - safer/CCTV
- Sunday cleaning
- Cruise ships
- Retail radios
- Play area - New George Street
- Entertainment
- Retailers recycling
- Short stay car parking
- Retail crime awareness
- Newsletter
- Graffiti and flyposting
- Floral/shrub displays
- Pedestrian signage
- Lighting - surface car parks
- Canopy
- Shoppers bus
- Bedford way
- Cleanliness monitoring
- Retail investment pack
- Public crime awareness
- Railway shopping promotions
- Public art
- Mechanised sweeper
BIDs vote March 2005
A draft BID Business Plan has now been completed and will be circulated to retailers in August for consultation. Once agreed, the business plan will be finalised in October with a BID ballot planned for March 1 2005. Plymouth will be one of the very first UK cities to establish a BID and has been identified as a model for best practice.
RDA BID funding
The Regional Development Agency have agreed to provide £50,000 fund towards the creation of a BID in Plymouth. The funding will be used to produce a business plan and employ a dedicated project manager.
ID to help retailers through redevelopment
The impact of redevelopment on levels of trade over the next two years was identified a clear priority for BID. The phasing of projects is now being looked at to deliver a major marketing budget in the first two years of the BID to drive footfall.