CityCo secures BID for next five years

Manchester city centre businesses have voted to continue supporting the city’s Business Improvement District (BID) and to fund CityCo as the city centre management company.

Vaughan Allen, chief executive of CityCo Manchester and the Manchester BID said: “Manchester BID has been key to the recovery of the city post-Covid, with events like Manchester Flower Show, Halloween and our recent Festive Sundays driving the city centre visitor economy forward.

“Manchester BID has been key to the recovery of the city post-Covid, with events like Manchester Flower Show, Halloween and our recent Festive Sundays driving the city centre visitor economy forward. These events, alongside our major programme of street cleaning and general uplift of the public realm, have been well received.

“We have also co-secured the new Manchester Accommodation BID, and so have been instrumental in developing new revenue streams worth nearly £6 million a year to Manchester city centre from 2023.

The vote saw 242 businesses vote in favour and just 3 against.

Allen said the overwhelming vote in favour of the BID showed the commitment of businesses to ensuring Manchester remains “the most vibrant, interesting and compelling destination in the country.”

He added: “We’re delighted to have played our part in developing and delivering all of this for Manchester city centre.”