Bradford BID plans launched at National Science and Media Museum
A plan to bring businesses in Bradford city centre together through the Bradford BID has been launched.
Representatives of more than 600 businesses were invited to attend the event to find out how £2.5m would be spent over five years if the BID goes ahead.
BID Development Group chair Ian Ward said it had been an 18-month journey to arrive at the launch.
“We had to make sure we got this right, that we represented exactly what local business wanted, so we could deliver the best for Bradford,” said Ward.
“Realistically, we haven’t delivered anything yet; the real hard work starts now because we need to win the hearts and minds of those 630 businesses in the BID demise area and persuade them to vote in favour of setting up the BID.
“But the sheer number of people at this launch shows just how much the Bradford business community wants this to happen.”
The final business plan document sets out a strategy for improving the city centre with money invested by businesses through an annual levy, based on a small percentage on top of their business rates.
A typical small business would pay £3.61 per week, a medium-sized business with a rateable value of, for instance, £65,000 would pay less than £16 per week and the cost to a large business, with a rateable value of £150,000, would be about £36 per week.
The Business Plan is already being backed by a host of small businesses as well as The Broadway and Kirkgate shopping centres, Little Germany Action Ltd, the University of Bradford, Bradford College, Bradford City football club, Provident Financial, Yorkshire Building Society, SunbridgeWells, Bradford Civic Society, Kala Sangam and others.
“It’s all about additionality,” said Ward. “The BID will provide services and enhancements over and above the basic service Bradford Council can provide.
“It will give businesses the power and funding to take action to make significant, targeted and sustained improvements to our city centre. Local businesses have decided what those improvements should be and now we need to ensure they vote to support the setting up of the BID when it goes to a ballot on September 13.
“The result of the ballot will be declared on October 12. If a majority of those who take part vote in favour – and if, between them, they represent more than half of the total rateable value of the area’s properties – the BID will be formally established before the end of 2018 and will operate until December 2023.
