Cleaner, safer streets and the positioning of Bath as a hotbed for cutting-edge fashion are among the successes of the city’s Business Improvement District (BID) in just one year.
Working in partnership with businesses and other organisations, the BID has introduced activities and initiatives that, without its funding, would not have taken place.
BID promises to deliver on three fronts; to manage, promote and save – which manager Andrew Cooper said it had met without exception and in certain areas had exceeded.
“The income we generated via BID levies, the private sector, Bath & North East Somerset Council and other contributions exceeded our predicted figures for the year," he said. "This has enabled us to make significant investment in key areas such as the management and promotion of the city, which has created a cleaner, more exciting destination, resulting in greater visitor numbers."
It was clear the priority for the BID levy payers was to make the city's streets cleaner. The BID responded with the introduction of BID Rangers who patrol in a new BID eco-vehicle, deep cleaning streets and responding to incidents. An urgent call from BID levy payers for better management of the night time economy was promptly met by the introduction of Night Marshals and the Nightwatch scheme – a programme so successful it is being extended to outlying areas of the city.
Mr Cooper added: "It is important to remember that the Bath BID is not an extra tax on business and does not exist to supplement the council. Rather it works to add value, amplify activities and initiatives such as the Nightwatch Scheme and Bath in Fashion, which help to improve and better manage the city.
“While there are now more than 620 businesses paying into the BID and a great many engaged in the wider community, the BID is not complacent. There is still a lot of work to be done to increase business involvement and ensure that the BID delivers as much value as possible for levy payers.”
One of those, Ranjit Mankoo from The Sony Centre Bath, said: “Admittedly we were sceptical at just how much benefit this additional charge would bring to our business. However, having witnessed the Rangers in action and seen the fantastic promotions BID has brought to Bath which have noticeably raised footfall around the city centre, we are totally convinced this is money well spent.”
Bath BID’s A Year in Review is available to download at www.bathbid.co.uk
