Consultation with local businesses over plans for a Business Improvement District (BID) in Altrincham has begun this week.
The Altrincham Forward-led project aims to bring guaranteed investment to the town centre each year for the next five years.
It would mean that businesses within the BID area would have to pay a 1-2% levy on their rateable value from around April 2016, equivalent to approximately £260 for the average independent business.
Results from a survey last year highlighted the key areas of concern for Altrincham businesses, and the consultation will now focus on potential BID projects that could increase footfall and spend within the town centre.
The results from this survey will then be used to form a detailed five-year BID business plan, which will be communicated in June. Eligible businesses will be asked to vote on this business plan in October, and in the event of a positive outcome, a BID could be operating in Altrincham from next April.
The consultation runs until 27 March – the online questionnaire is here – during which time the BID project team will be visiting businesses across the town centre to enable face-to-face discussion of the proposal and answer questions.
Martin Duff, owner of Randalls Jewellery on George Street and a member of the BID Steering Group, said the BID represented a chance for businesses “to take control of how our town is managed and marketed and drive forward positive change”.
He added: “The most important thing at this stage is that business owners take the time to find out what the project is all about and fill in the BID survey to make sure their voices are heard. This is our opportunity to shape what happens in Altrincham town centre over the next five years and we need to take full advantage of it.”
Councillor Sean Anstee, chair of the Altrincham Forward board and leader of Trafford Council, added: “The creation of a BID is another piece in the jigsaw of Altrincham’s regeneration, and is a real opportunity for town centre businesses to influence the development and management of the town over the next five years.
“Ultimately it will be up to the businesses to decide whether to vote for a BID, but we believe it would be a very positive move for Altrincham for businesses to be able to plan investment over a five-year period.”
The BID is a separate scheme to the Neighbourhood Business Plan.
