Business Improvement District could be extended in historic city
BUSINESS OWNERS and tourism leaders will be asked to vote on whether they want an organisation tasked with improving one of the North of England’s most popular destinations to continue for another five years.
The Business Improvement District (BID) in York has been involved with a succession of projects in the city which are aimed at ensuring the safety of both residents and visitors while also boosting the vital multi-million pound tourism sector.
The organisation’s members are responsible for overseeing York’s Christmas lights displays, funding the street rangers who patrol the city centre and also organising a street cleaning service.
The BID is also involved in events including the York Restaurant Week, the city’s Bloom festival and the recent Halloween light projection shows in the city.
A report to York Council has
revealed that a ballot could take place in November next year – asking eligible businesses if they would support a second five-year term for the BID from April 2021.
The director of the BID, Andrew Lowson, said: “You have to ensure any renewal process is done in a democratic way, which is why you start off notifying the council of intentions to run a renewal ballot.
“But the important part is speaking with the businesses, so from January 2020 we will be doing a lot of consultation with business to see what they would like to see in a BID Mark II. Ultimately it is what they want, that shapes a business plan for the future.”
Businesses including shops, restaurants and visitor attractions in the BID’s catchment area pay a levy, which is then used to fund projects and events to bring more visitors into the city centre.
The organisation is set to raise more than £4m through the levy during the five-year term, according to the report. The money is collected by the council on behalf of the BID, which has been operating for three-and-a-half years.
Nearly 7m visitors head to York every year, contributing £564m to the city’s economy, and the sector supports more than 19,000 jobs.