Colmore BID begins renewal ballot
Colmore BID is asking more than 500 businesses in the Colmore Row area to renew its term for the period 2019-2024 through a confidential postal ballot.
The ballot result will be announced on November 21.
A Business Improvement District is a defined area within which local businesses collaborate to invest in projects, services and initiatives to improve the environment in which they work. BIDs deliver additional services to those provided by the council, police and transport bodies.
The renewal ballot is a process all BIDs must undertake every five years to secure the support of the businesses they represent through a percentage levy on business rates.
Colmore Business District is considered the commercial heart of Birmingham with over 35,000 employees and five million square feet of office space.
Colmore BID spends a substantial amount of its levy income over each five-year term on improvements to public spaces such as Church Street Square, delivered in partnership with Birmingham City Council.
The BID was created in 2009 to generate a nationally-recognised business community around the Colmore Row area of the city centre and over the last five years the organisation says it has leveraged £10m from an investment of £1.4m in the District’s public realm.
For the BID’s new term it is proposing to collect a levy of 1.5% on business rates. It says this will generate over £5m of additional, business-led investment into the district.
In addition, the boards of both Colmore BID and Paradise have agreed the landmark new development would join Colmore Business District.
The BID also manages an annual calendar of events such as the Colmore Food Festival – which attracts 30,000 visitors each year – public realm enhancement, security and ambassadorial roles.
The Mayor for the West Midlands, Andy Street, said: “I’m a big supporter of BIDs. They are an effective way of getting the private and public sector to be organised and work together.
“Having been involved in several of these during my days at John Lewis, I believe you can tend to tell places that have BIDs and those that do not.
“The role of the Colmore BID in promotion of the area specifically and the city generally is hugely important. Snow Hill and Paradise at either end of Colmore Row and the restoration of The Grand are major steps which the BID needs to continue building on.”
Michele Wilby, executive director, Colmore BID, said: “We’ve been listening to our members on how we can continue to ensure our area is the beating heart of business in Birmingham, and we are proposing to build a better district by extending the planned civilising street programme – to create new places for people to meet and relax.
“Our priorities are to build a better district, deliver great events, engage and grow our community and build a safe and Clean Colmore Business District.
“We will develop a business-led solution to reducing freight and delivery vehicles entering Colmore Business District and continue to lead on projects such as the Snow Hill Masterplan and influence regeneration plans for the District to ensure strong connections to the HS2 station at Curzon Street.”
