Business Improvement District vote welcomed as a great result for Shrewsbury

Shropshire Council has welcomed the news that the Shrewsbury Business Improvement District (BID) proposal has received resounding backing from town centre businesses.

A BID aims to improve the trading environment of its area through additional projects and services that businesses wish to see delivered on their behalf.  A BID is democratically elected, and is led and funded by businesses and organisations within its boundary.

Ballot results released this week by the independent scrutineer, Electoral Reform Services, showed that 76% of all those who voted are in favour of the BID progressing.  For the BID to be successful, a ‘majority by rateable value’ was also required, and this was achieved with 83% voting in favour.

The first BID to be established in Shropshire, the Shrewsbury BID is expected to start in early 2014 and run for a five-year term.  It will be funded through a BID levy, which will be invested in the projects identified by businesses, which are set out in the Shrewsbury BID Business Plan.

Over the five years of the BID more than £1.6m will be generated to be spent in the BID area.

Priorities identified by businesses include marketing and promotion, access and car parking, business support and focussed management of the town.

Steve Charmley. Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for business growth, said:

“This is a great result for Shrewsbury, and I’m really pleased that Shrewsbury town centre businesses have voted yes to the creation of a BID.  This project has been a superb example of public and private collaboration and partnership which will benefit Shrewsbury, and help to promote our county town regionally, nationally and internationally.”

Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham said:

“High streets all over Britain have struggled over recent years due to the changes in people’s shopping habits, and Shrewsbury town centre has lost some big retailers over the last few years.  I am confident that the town will now become an even better shopping experience for residents and visitors.  In voting for BID status, the local businesses have shown real commitment to work together for the benefit of the town’s future prosperity, and I applaud them.”

Mike Matthews, chair of the BID task group, said:

“After a year of hard work, this a fantastic result for all involved and allows Shrewsbury town centre to keep on improving and keeping pace with the competition.  I would like to thank all involved, from businesses who gave their time and support freely, to the local authorities who have taken an active and collaborative approach to this.

“The real work starts now in delivering the new initiatives and the team aim to get started immediately, forming the new BID company and adding extra value to the town centre for the benefit of businesses.”

Andrew Bannerman, Shropshire Councillor for Quarry and Coton Hill, said:

“This is a shot in the arm for Shrewsbury.  It is the result of hard work by a committed core of people. Clearly town centre businesses are prepared to pull together for the good of all.  It is a very heartening result.”

Since September 2004 when the BID legislation was introduced, there have been over 150 successful BIDs in the UK, which over the next five years will bring in £300 million of funding.

For more information about the Shrewsbury BID go to: http://shrewsburybid.co.uk/