Ilkley BID celebrates with other country-wide BIDs to celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the first BID pilot
October 2024 marks 20 years since the anniversary of the first business improvement district pilot, with £1bn invested in local services and events to improve towns and cities for communities and business.
20 BIDS were formed with the original pilot in 2003 and then brought into law with the UK regulations act the following year. Using a model from Canada, Business Improvement Districts allowed for businesses to have access to additional services, like street cleaning, improving the environment and public realm, or events and activity to increase footfall and animation.
The number of BIDs has now grown to over 340, with BIDs appearing in all four nations of the UK. A business improvement district is a defined area of a town or city where a levy is charged on all eligible business rate payers. BID levies are voted for via a ballot which takes place every five years.
Currently, BIDs invest £152m in local economies across the country, helping to support investment in towns and cities at a time when public sector funding has been impacted by budget cuts across a range of departments.
BID services day to day include street cleaning, removing graffiti, security, connecting businesses and networking. But BIDs increasingly create spectacle and organise events and projects enhancing the lives of those living in local communities.
Ilkley BID was set up in 2019 to support the local economy, improve facilities for the business community, boost visitor numbers and raise the overall profile and appeal of Ilkley as a great place to live, work and do business.
Sarah Brookfield-Almond is the Ilkley BID Manager and said:
“20 years is a significant milestone and we are celebrating together with all the other Business Improvement Districts across the UK.
“Ilkley BID is now into its second five-year term and we are proud of the impact the BID is making on the town. Of course, there have been obstacles along the way and the current economic climate continues to be challenging for us all, whether we operate in retail, hospitality or in the service sector. The additional focus and investment from our BID is even more important in these times to help our member businesses thrive.”
“All BID projects are about providing over and above the local council remit and, right now, all the 340+ BIDs across the UK are forging their own futures, irrespective of the challenges of their local councils, and we are all united in our vision to make our respective towns and cities the best places to live, work, visit and do business.”
Michele Wilby is the CEO Colmore BID and Co-Chair The BID Foundation: “BIDs are a key mechanism to enable businesses to have a greater role in the animation, the narrative and the appearance of their towns and city centres.
Investment in the public realm is vital if we are to continue to create places where people can thrive, and we know the pressures that have been on the public purse over the last decade and a half. As a result, BIDs have proactively stepped into the role of delivering cultural activity, of attracting visitors and enhancing tourism locally, as well as connecting and empowering the voice of business on both a local and regional level.
Investment and placemaking go hand in hand. For BIDs, it’s about everyone working together and everyone feeling they have a say - that’s what creates successful places”.
For more information about Ilkley BID, visit: www.ilkleybid.co.uk