Manchester BID bags second term with backing from city’s retailers

Phil Schulze, Manchester BID manager

Businesses across Manchester city centre’s retail core have voted in support of continuing the city’s Business Improvement District (BID) for a second five-year term.

The renewal ballot saw 77% of voters back the continuation of Manchester BID, which means it will now run until at least 2023.

The new term, which starts in April 2018, is a vote of confidence for Manchester BID and means an additional £6m will be invested into the city’s retail district over the next five years.

BID’s are defined geographical areas where businesses work together and invest in agreed services, projects and special events and are financed by a levy made on the basis of rateable value.

They operate in most cities and towns across the UK. Manchester BID brings together almost 400 retail, food and other customer-facing businesses in the central shopping district spanning Deansgate, King Street, Cross Street, St Ann’s Square, Market Street, New Cathedral Street and Manchester Arndale.

The Manchester BID, which is managed by CityCo, the city centre management company for Manchester and Salford, also funds a tourist information team of City Hosts who have collectively welcomed more than 500,000 visitors to the city to date.

During its second term, Manchester BID will further evolve its programme of events including Chinese New Year, Halloween in the City, The King Street Festival and student shopping nights, while exploring the potential for tie-ups with other city festivals and touring events.

Operational support including services around security and counter-terrorism awareness training will continue to be a key element of the BID’s work, as will its lobbying role to ensure the retail sector’s voice continues to be heard by senior officers in the public sector.

Jane Sharrocks, chair of Manchester BID, said; “After an incredibly successful five years we’re absolutely delighted to continue the BID’s work with a second term. At the heart of everything we’ve done has been building our community of 400 businesses. Their collaborative approach, commitment and willingness to work together has been key to the success of the BID so far and will be invaluable as we go forward over the next few years.”

Phil Schulze, Manchester BID manager, said: “This is brilliant news for Manchester city centre. The £6 million investment this brings into the city will ensure we continue to grow and prosper and sustain our great track record of success to date. The BID has built up an incredibly strong reputation for action, intelligence and partnership working, and this is a real vote of confidence in what we have achieved in our first term. We now have ambitious plans incorporating food and drink operators into the BID and by continuing to work collectively, we can build on our thriving calendar of events and deliver more operational services that we know are vital to our members and the city centre trading environment.”

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