A new brand and advertising campaign for Chippenham aimed at raising the town’s profile as a shopping and leisure destination is to be launched next month.
A series of events will also be staged in the town this summer and in the run-up to Christmas to attract visitors and increase footfall for its town centre stores.
Chippenham Business Improvement District (BID), which was launched last November after being approved by town centre businesses in a ballot, and Chippenham Town Council have struck up a working partnership to promote the town.
The council will invest £40,000 into the town centre events, which will be match funded by the BID. The BID has also secured £10,000 to promote the town centre from property investment Eagle One, which owns the town’s Emery Gate shopping centre.
Town council chief executive Sue Wilthew said: “The town council has been involved with the BID process from the beginning as we believe, both as a local authority and as BID levy payers, that it is the vehicle to ensure positive change to our town centre.
“In the past we have produced some strong events that have received fantastic support from local people and businesses, and through this partnership with the BID we will only be making these events bigger and better.”
BID manager Carolyn Brownell added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the town council to improve and build on town centre events.
“Through my conversations with businesses, one of the overwhelming opinions expressed was that Chippenham’s events were good but not as strong as they could be in order to encourage new people into the town and put Chippenham on the map. With this investment from the town council and match funding from the BID I am very excited about the events calendar over the next five years.”
Eagle One development manager Michael Bryant said his firm voted for a BID in the ballot as it had from its other sites in the South West that they can have a “massive impact” on a town.
“There is much work to do in terms of improving the profile and image of the town, and we are more than happy to commit extra funding to help make that happen,” he said.
Chippenham BID will generate £1.5m over its five-year term to be spent on projects that the town centre businesses voted for. The areas of focus will be on the town’s image, marketing and events, making it a welcoming, safe and clean town, improved car parking and accessibility, and backing Chippenham businesses.
The BID is financed by an annual levy paid by businesses operating in a designated area in the town and with rateable values of £5,000 or more.
This currently covers 377 businesses who together will pay a BID levy that generates £365,500 a year.
Pictured: Michael Bryant of Emery Gate owner Eagle One with BID manager Carolyn Brownell
