Future of city restaurants, bars and arts venues still in doubt
needed and it is not coming quickly enough. We are also hugely worried about the arts, especially after the announcement from Birmingham Hippodrome that they won’t be undertaking live shows again until February at the earliest. “So many of our bars and restaurants rely on the theatre’s audiences to keep afloat so this is a real concern.”
Similarly, Westside BID is another which contributes massively to Birmingham’s night-time economy.
Julia Robinson, of Southside BID
“Naturally, a small minority of our members will fail, yet that is an ongoing facet of working with such a multitude of businesses,” he told the Post.
“What is always sad is the people who lose their work, as they are so often fine servants of the companies they work for.
“It’s the nature of business – it can be brutal at times, just like nature. “The area is slowly opening up and business is beginning to find its feet again.
“The process is slow but it’s positive and on a clear upwards trajectory.”
Business improvement districts have been springing up all over both Birmingham city centre and the surrounding suburbs ever since that initial Broad Street launch 15 years ago.
An extra levy is added to the business rates of occupiers within a BID’s boundaries which is then used on projects for the betterment of that district, with the bodies also providing an independent representative voice for their members.
Birmingham’s BIDs have led initiatives such as street wardens, Walk of Stars in Broad Street and Church Street Square to the annual Colmore Food and Summer in Southside festivals, both of which were cancelled this year due to coronavirus.
Jewellery Quarter BID represents a thriving cluster of independent businesses, from beauty salons, hairdressers and bars to jewellery retailers and manufacturers. Its manager, Luke Crane, says more than 40 per cent of its levy payers are office-based so the switch to home working is having a huge knock-on effect on the quarter’s hospitality businesses. He added: “We’re also extremely worried for our heritage and arts venues.
“These are important assets to the Jewellery Quarter and, without them, our history can’t be told. “Birmingham Museums Trust has recently entered into a period of redundancy consultations, meaning the future of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is sadly under threat. It would be an absolute tragedy if we were to lose such an integral part of the
Quarter’s community.”
For some the tide is turning though, with companies adapting to secure new revenue streams, welcoming customers back as best as they can while adhering to the latest coronavirus guidelines and planning for the road ahead. Ms Robinson says the sense of community in Southside has shone through during the pandemic and lockdown as the district prepares for a new initiative which would see Hurst Street closed at weekends to allow for more outdoor seating.
“Many of our businesses have explored new avenues for revenue, such as food delivery and integrated technology, and worked together to share best practice on social distanc
Jewellery
There remain huge gaps in the support needed and it is not coming quickly enough