Business Improvement Districts ( BIDs) in Warwickshire. |
|  |
What is a Business Improvement District?
BIDs originated in 1980's in the USA and Canada and in 2005, government legislation was granted to enable BIDs happen in the UK. A BID is a business led initiative which gives local organisations the power to 'raise funds locally' with the aim of improving their own trading environment. It is an investment scheme whereby local businesses have the opportunity to say how their money should be invested to benefit themselves, their employees, customers and clients. It is important to say that BID projects are for services over and above those provided by public sector agencies and cannot replace them.
The Warwickshire BIDs programme began in 2002 when we secured a place as one of 22 pilots to take part in the National BIDs Programme with the Government and Association of Town Centre Management ( ATCM) as the only county strategic pilot, developing a BID in Rugby Town Centre with the Rugby Town Centre Company and Rugby Borough Council. BID status was secured in 2005, with Rugby setting a framework for best practice and further BIDs in Warwickshire.
WCC are now facilitating a programme of BIDs with support provided in the form of funding, staff support and specialist expertise, a feasibility and development 'toolkit' and training programme for BIDs collectively and individually in towns and trading estates. |
| |
Well Connected
WCC are well connected outside of Warwickshire and are represented on the Association of Town Centre Management Board of Directors and Sounding Board during the BID Pilot as well as the British Council For Shopping Centres ( BCSC) Advisory Board and Government Affairs Committee. We have a broad range of contacts from the UK and overseas, as well as links with Government, all of which helps provide a truly 'joined up appraoch' to strategic countywide BID development. |
|
|
|
|
BIDs in Warwickshire - more information
For more information about BID's please contact regenproj@warwickshire.gov.uk or contact Sue Ashley, Warwickshire BID's Manager on 01926 412818 |