Campaigners for the establishment of a Business Improvement District (BID) in Altrincham tonight called on town centre businesses to “take the future into our own hands” and vote ‘yes’ in next month’s ballot.
The meeting, held at Altrincham Town Hall, was attended by representatives from across the town centre business community.
The BID Steering Group, a pro-BID panel chaired by Martin Duff from Randalls Jewellers, answered questions from the floor and the meeting also heard a short presentation from Rita Waters, the chief executive of Chester’s successful BID campaign.
A business plan released at the meeting projected that a BID in Altrincham would raise around £1.4m from a levy on the businesses involved over the period 2016-2021, which would be set at 1.5% of the rateable value of each business property.
The plan claims that money would “boost the town’s potential and put the cultural and community ‘heart’ back into Altrincham”.
In practical terms, the proposed benefits of the BID included providing more reasons to visit the town, reducing the number of vacant units, developing a “stylish and distinctive” brand, improving the town’s appearance and safety, and reducing business costs.
You can see the business plan in full here
Other findings and matters raised at the meeting included:
- Should a majority of businesses vote ‘yes’ in the ballot – which lasts from Friday 9th October until Thursday 5th November – then the Altrincham BID will formally begin on April 1st 2016
- Tesco and Sainsbury’s had been excluded from the BID area because joining it was “against company policy”, and the decision was taken to exclude them from a vote in case their ‘no’ vote affected other businesses. Both supermarkets have however agreed to make a donation to the BID
- A not-for-profit company would be set up to operate the BID, which would be entirely separate from Trafford Council. Annual accounts would be filed by independent accountants
- Altrincham Forward’s days could be numbered if the BID goes ahead; its role would officially be agreed by its board soon after the ballot
- 543 businesses are included within the BID’s boundary. If there’s a yes vote, all businesses would have to pay the levy
Citing the positive impact a BID had had on Chester since its introduction last year, chief executive Rita Waters said: “Two hundred cities and towns in the UK cannot be wrong. There is nothing else – it is the BID and it works really well.”
Issues were raised by attendees about the perceived impact on non-retail and B2B businesses, as well as those businesses on the fringes of the BID area.
But steering group member Anthony Prophet, from Trader’s Tiki Bar in Goose Green, added: “I’ve seen a real positive turn over the past year, and now it’s about keeping that momentum going. If not the BID, what else? That’s why I say vote yes.”
