Sheffield firms vote ‘Yes’ for BID

SHEFFIELD city businesses have voted yes to a Business Improvement District with a 78% majority, though only 39% of over 500 businesses voted.

The BID had to be approved by a standard majority vote and secondly by the aggregate of the rateable values of the businesses, by which count 86% of businesses voted for the BID.

The new BID company, will be set up by August 1 2015 and will start to operate and implement activity from then.

BID champion chairperson and managing director of John Lewis, James Prince said: “This is a great result for Sheffield city centre. Business organisations will now have the resource to work with Sheffield City Council to deliver events and to implement initiatives detailed within the Sheffield BID prospectus.

“The BID Champion group can now work towards appointing a BID Manager and to setting up a new Board.

“I am delighted that so many businesses have supported this.

“I believe we have already benefitted from cross sector working, and that has given us a great foundation to really make a difference to how Sheffield city centre is perceived, to make it more attractive to visitors, and to enhance the business environment so everyone benefits.”