Plans revealed to create Business Improvement District for Bradford

The Bradford BID Development Group has announced the launch of a major consultation with local businesses in the city to assess their appetite for the introduction of a BID, which would produce a plan of major projects aimed at improving business performance in Bradford.

An initial meeting will take place on Thursday July 20 and will explain the consultation process, which will see all city centre businesses being invited to take part in a survey.

Companies will be asked to identify the priority projects that they consider would boost trade and to outline whether they would support the creation of a BID as the vehicle to achieve this, which would require them to vote to pay a small additional sum on their annual Business Rates.

There are 270 BIDs currently operating across the United Kingdom and it is anticipated that a Bradford BID could generate over £500,000 per year to promote and add to the vitality of the city, thus increasing footfall and vibrancy across the city centre area.

Ian Ward, general manager of The Broadway shopping centre and chairman of the Bradford BID Development Group, said: “In these times of tough competition, it is vitally important for Bradford to maintain and strengthen its key position in the region.

“To do that via a BID, businesses need to set the goals and lead from the front, ensuring that the city is consistently cleaner, safer, more vibrant and better-promoted to attract more footfall.”

Chris Gregory of Heartflood, who have been selected by the BID Development Group to support the consideration of a BID in Bradford, said: “The development of a BID in Bradford represents an enormous opportunity for city centre businesses, although we need to establish their willingness for such a project at every step of the way.

“We are therefore initially urging as many businesses as possible to spare just 10 minutes to tell us what they think via the survey.”

The survey will begin in July and run until November, with businesses having the opportunity to participate online.

Visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BradfordBID for further information and to participate in the survey.