Newcastle makes opening Business Improvement District bid

Oct 20 2008 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

BALLOT papers are today being sent to over 1,000 firms in Newcastle city centre to see if they want to create the region’s first Business Improvement District.

Newcastle’s City Centre Partnership is campaigning for the move, which would mirror schemes already established in Edinburgh and Liverpool.

The aim of the BID is to create a community working together to improve the look and feel of the city’s commercial heart.

If a majority of business vote for the BID it will be funded by a 1% levy on the business rates which, along with matched funding, could create a £15m funding pot over the next five years. Newcastle United, Fenwick, Eldon Square and newly-opened Waitrose have already pledged their support.

David Quinn, managing director of Fenwick, said: “Newcastle as a BID will help ensure the city’s competitiveness on a national scale.

“It gives all businesses, large and small, the opportunity to have a direct input into projects and services which will have a positive effect on their bottom lines as well as having a major impact on Newcastle.”

Improvement projects identified if the BID plan is approved include over 20 new landscaped and seated green areas, to be cared for by four park rangers

Other ideas under consideration include increased security on city streets, four mobile CCTV cameras, the introduction of taxi marshals at city centre taxi ranks and a bigger police presence on the streets at night

Further proposals could involve the introduction of state-of-the-art street cleaning and more events and festivals in the city centre.

City Centre Partnership director Sean Bullick, said: “The opening of the BID ballot marks a very significant moment in Newcastle’s future. This is an opportunity for local businesses to vote ‘yes’ and play an active role in helping us make this great city even better. Becoming a BID would give the city centre business community in Newcastle the opportunity to work together to take forward schemes to help Newcastle realise its full potential as one of the UK’s best cities in which to live, work and visit.”

Votes can be submitted from Wednesday and participating firms have until November 22 in which to participate. Fifty per cent of businesses have to vote in favour and if approved businesses would then be given a vote on how the funds are spent.

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