Businesses in Altrincham town centre are being urged to attend a “one-off” meeting ahead of a ballot to decide whether to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) in Altrincham.
The meeting, which will take place at Altrincham Town Hall on Monday, will include short speeches from representatives of the BID Steering Group, followed by a Q&A session.
Rita Waters, CEO of the Chester BID, will talk about how a BID has helped her city.
The event will also see the launch of a five-year business plan for the Altrincham BID, including expenditure forecasts and details of projects the BID would undertake to improve the town centre.
All eligible businesses will then receive voting forms on Friday 9th October, with the ballot remaining open until Thursday 5th November.
Martin Duff, owner of Randalls Jewellers and chair of the Altrincham BID Steering Group, said: “This is a one-off opportunity for the businesses of Altrincham to come together to take control of how our town is marketed and managed.
“We all want to see a more vibrant town centre and increase visitor numbers, and evidence from other towns across the country indicates that a BID would be a highly effective way to increase footfall and reinvigorate Altrincham town centre. I would urge all town centre businesses to come along to the meeting on Monday 21st September and find out more about the project.”
Charlotte Atkinson, store manager of Boots Altrincham and member of the BID Steering Group, added: “With the redeveloped market, new hospital, new interchange and now improved public realm, Altrincham has come on in leaps and bounds over the past few years.
“The BID presents a fantastic opportunity for the business community to build on this momentum and create more reasons for people to visit Altrincham more often, with a full calendar of events and high profile marketing.”
Monday’s meeting starts at 5.40pm, with registration from 5.20pm.
What is a BID?
A BID is a defined area where businesses come together to collectively invest to improve their trading environment. A BID can be voted in by a majority of businesses through a secret postal ballot, for a maximum term of five years. During this time, occupiers of all business properties within a defined area will be required to pay the mandatory levy, irrespective of whether they cast a vote in the ballot.
The idea of a BID is new for Altrincham, but has its basis in national legislation, and BIDs are already working successfully in over 200 towns and cities across the UK. Once a BID is formed it is run and managed as an independent company, entirely separate from the local council. Typical BID projects include running year-round events programmes, high profile marketing, whole-town advertising, enhanced street cleaning, seasonal displays, joint procurement and improved security measures.
At the end of the five year period, businesses are asked to vote again on whether to continue the BID for a further five years. To date over 90% of towns and cities reaching the end of their first five-year period have voted in favour of a second BID term.
