In 2004 Liverpool was one of 20 pioneering UK cities to establish a Business Improvement District and since then it has grown significantly. Laura Brown reports

Celebrating Castle Street 2023 was organised by the BID. Picture by Liverpool BID Company

October 2024 marks 20 years since the anniversary of the first Business Improvement District (BID) pilot.

£1bn has been invested in local services and events to improve towns and cities for communities and business. Liverpool was one of the first cities to have a BID, created as part of a pilot programme.

20 BIDS were formed with the original pilot in 2003 and then brought into law with the UK regulations act the following year.

Using a model from Canada, Business Improvement Districts allowed for businesses to have access to additional services, like street cleaning, improving the environment and public realm, or events and activity to increase footfall and animation.

The number of BIDs has now grown to more than 340, with BIDs appearing in all four nations of the UK. 

A business improvement district is a defined area of a town or city where a levy is charged on all eligible business rate payers. BID levies are voted for via a ballot which takes place every five years.

Currently, BIDs invest £152m in local economies across the country, helping to support investment in towns and cities at a time when public sector funding has been impacted by budget cuts across a range of departments.

Over two decades, the role of BIDs in the UK has evolved. The BID model has evolved to create Accommodation BIDs, driven by the hotel and serviced accommodation sector. The tax to fund the Elizabeth Line led to the emergence of property owner BIDs.

BID services day to day include street cleaning, removing graffiti, security, connecting businesses and networking. But BIDs increasingly create spectacle and organise events and projects enhancing the lives of those living in local communities.

Bill Addy is chief executive of Liverpool BID Company. He said: “Marking two decades of being at the heart of Liverpool is a moment to think about the legacy of Liverpool BID and what is to come next.

“BIDs were established to create a ground-breaking relationship between the public sector and the private sector. They exist to have a structure for investment that helps to create the right environment for city centre businesses, no matter their sector or industry, to thrive.

“We have seen rapid transformation in Liverpool city centre over this period, both good and bad and have had to ride incredible waves and tackle severe storms.

“We have shown that through partnership, strategic investment and always focusing on the public realm and the environment for business, we can get through.

The challenges on the public purse aren’t going anywhere and we are confident in our ability to continue to support hospitality, retail, professional services culture, commercial business and more, creating important connections through the city to make it stronger. Bring on the next 20 years.”

Bold Street, Liverpool is part of the BID area. Picture by Tony McDonough
Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company

Michele Wilby, chief executive of Colmore BID and co-chair The BID Foundation, added: “20 years is a significant milestone in the relationship between the management and development of the public realm and between the public and private sector.

“BIDs are a key mechanism to enable businesses to have a greater role in the animation, the narrative and the appearance of their towns and city centres.

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“Investment in the public realm is vital if we are to continue to create places where people can thrive, and we know the pressures that have been on the public purse over the last decade and a half.

“As a result, BIDs have proactively stepped into the role of delivering cultural activity, of attracting visitors and enhancing tourism locally, as well as connecting and empowering the voice of business on both a local and regional level.

“Investment and placemaking go hand in hand. For BIDs, it’s about everyone working together and everyone feeling they have a say – that’s what creates successful places.”

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