Businesses in Bristol’s fast-growing commercial area will be invited to vote for the area to become a Business Improvement District (BID) in September 2020. If the majority vote in favour of the BID, it is anticipated that £5m would be raised over the five-year BID term.
A BID aims to enhance an area and the performance of the businesses within it by delivering projects which are decided upon, and funded by, the businesses themselves. This initiative is being proposed by Destination Bristol who already operates the successful Broadmead and Bristol City Centre BIDs.
The vision is for a Redcliffe and Temple area which is vibrant, thriving, sustainable, inspirational and welcoming.
Following the first stage of consultation, businesses have been sent a draft Prospectus which outlines how projects would be delivered if the initiative is successful. They include:
- Marketing the area and creating an identity for it
- Improving the public realm
- Ensuring that the businesses have a strong and effective voice
- Aiming to make the area accessible to all
- Ensuring the area is safe and free from anti-social issues
Initiatives aimed at improving the health and well-being of staff and jointly delivered corporate social responsibility projects were also raised in individual meetings.
Redcliffe and Temple BID Development manager Jo Hawkins has been appointed to lead on this project and is being assisted by Tom Swithinbank.
Jo previously managed the Broadmead BID for 15 years, working with retailers to maintain the appeal of the city centre’s main shopping destination. She has met with most of the businesses in the Redcliffe and Temple area and is excited by this opportunity to work with them.
Jo says: ‘The businesses I have spoken to love this area, they have watched it change beyond recognition over the last decade and many are keen to work more closely with their neighbours to ensure that it improves further. This is where a BID could make a real difference by connecting businesses and delivering projects proposed by them for the benefit of the whole area.’
Jonathan Bower, a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, is part of the Redcliffe & Temple BID Advisory Group. Jonathan says: ‘This BID offers a great opportunity to create an identity for the Redcliffe and Temple area, providing real benefits for our business and our staff. Working together we can influence how the area grows, ensure that it is well-managed and that our staff benefit from collaborative projects focused on improving their working environment and well-being as well as contributing back to the community.’
If successful at ballot, all eligible businesses, irrespective of how they voted, would have to pay 1.5% of their rateable value towards the BID; those who contribute to a managed space would receive a 50% discount to account for the services that are already provided to them as part of their management charge.
A further stage of consultation is now taking place which includes a series of workshops giving businesses the opportunity to help refine the BID proposals before a final Prospectus is produced in April 2020.