In more detail
A Business Improvement District is a defined area within which additional services are provided from money raised by a levy on local businesses. Local businesses lead the initiative to establish a BID. The proposal to set one up must be put to a ballot organised by the local council. If successful, the BID company is set up and run by local businesses. The council can be included as a partner in the BID. Through the BID company, local businesses decide how the levy, and any other money levered into the area as a result of the BID, is spent.
The video below is businesses in Cornwall talking about the benefits and costs of their local town and city BIDs:
As of May 2016 there were 227 active BIDs across Britain and Ireland. Most (184) cover town centres. Smaller numbers are in: industrial estates and areas (28); commercial zones (5); tourist and leisure areas (5); and other types of area (5).
London’s West End BID - covering the capital’s main shopping area including Oxford Street - raises an annual levy of more than £3m. City centre BIDs in Leeds and Newcastle raise about £2m a year. More typical sized BIDs, like ones based in Stratford in East London or Plymouth’s waterfront, raise an annual levy worth between £200,000 and £300,000. Some cities have multiple BIDs covering the city centre and suburban centres around it: Birmingham has a dozen BIDs, London has about 50.
The video below is about BIDs in London. It was made by Richard Hendron of London Live in 2016:
BID Ballots
To become a BID, the proposal must pass a ballot of the businesses that would be affected by having to pay the levy. Some BID proposals are rejected at the ballot stage: businesses do not necessarily want to pay the levy; some oppose them on ideological grounds; sometimes businesses may feel that the resulting BID is likely to be hijacked by a particular group of businesses or at least that it would not enjoy uniform support across the local business community.
Given a proposal to set up a BID is successful in a ballot, however, the right to levy local businesses exists for 5 years. After this time, the BID is automatically wound up, unless a fresh proposal is made and is successful at a ballot. Across the country, 74 BIDs are currently in their second term of 5 years and there are 13 third term BIDs.
The presentation below is by Charlotte Wade, Shenai Sinhal and Jen Taylor of the Colmore Business District in Central Birmingham. It presents the city centre Food Festival run by the BID:
| Key Facts:
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) can be set up by local businesses to raise money and pay for additional services in town centre areas and other neighbourhoods in which there is a concentration of businesse. They work by raising a levy on local business which they can spend on additional local services. To be adopted, a proposed BID must win support in a ballot of the businesses that would have to pay the levy. To keep operating, a fresh BID proposal must be made, and voted on, every five years. Some BIDs are now in their third five year term. |
Page Links from here
Government Guidance on Business Improvement Districts
Information from British BIDs explaining what a BID is
The Association of Town & City Management runs a BIDs Advisory Service
Have a look at Joe Holyoak's article Who Owns the Street? published by the Birmingham Post in 2013
In the toolkit:
OR you can use the navigation menu above right to look at other parts of the toolkit.
BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY PLANNING TOOLKIT DEFINITION SHEET This sheet may be reproduced in paper or electromic or any other form but please mention it was made by Chamberlain Forum Limited for Birmingham City Council supported by Department for Communities and Local Government.
| created: 2016-06-23 09:48:39 | by: admin | status: f published |