Companies urged to support new Business Improvement District
Businesses in Solihull have been urged to support efforts to create a new Business Improvement District in the area.
The BID has been proposed for the Stratford Road corridor in Shirley.
If secured, the BID could pave the way for new visitor events, street markets, improved Christmas lights and better promotion of the area to help the local economy.
The Shirley BID would also work with partner organisations to help maintain street paving and improve car park facilities.
A new Business Plan has been drafted and a year-long consultation process has been launched with Shirley businesses and organisations. The aim is to establish the priorities for the BID if the organisation is implemented following a ballot in May.
A BID is a business-led and business-funded body formed to improve a defined commercial area. There are more than 280 BIDs already operating across the UK.
BIDs are governed by the businesses which represent the BID area.
Sandra Grice, chair of the Shirley BID’s shadow board, said: “We are still encouraging the views of businesses on what will ultimately be adopted within the Business Plan.
“The BID will support our many independent businesses in every way possible, by raising their profile and by strengthening the area’s relationship with key organisations for investment, promotion and infrastructure works.
“It is our ambition to develop a comprehensive programme of new street entertainment to cover different areas of the Stratford Road corridor at different trading periods with an annual calendar of street markets and investment to improve the Christmas light displays.”
The BID area is likely to consist of approximately 250 businesses and the draft Business Plan includes 15 initial projects.
These are:
1. Marketing campaigns to highlight the strengths of Shirley, including promotion of events, food & drink venues, the retail offer, independent businesses and key trading periods
2. Market research to identify how local people and visitors think the town could be improved and to identify potential new visitor sources
3. Partnership work to develop and deliver campaigns to encourage new businesses into Shirley
4. Two major new town centre events
5. Investment to improve the Christmas light displays
6. Support for independent businesses in the town
7. Closer and collaborative relationships with local organisations, including the borough council, chamber of commerce, Local Enterprise Partnership and the West Midlands Combined Authority
8. Targeted promotions to increase footfall during quieter trading periods
9. Improvements to street paving
10. Better parking facilities
11. Targeted social media campaigns to draw significantly more people into the town centre
12. Better branding to support year-round promotions
13. Business champions to lobby for improvements to, and investment in, the town centre
14. Vinyl transfers and other measures to improve the appearance of long-term empty units
15. An annual calendar of street marketsvement District
