Wolverhampton City Centre businesses have voted ‘YES’ in a ballot in
favour of continuing the Wolverhampton Business Improvement District
(BID). Initially voted for in 2015 Wolverhampton BID, under the
branding ‘Enjoy Wolverhampton’ has delivered a full range of
improvements in the city centre over the past 5 years and hoped to
continue to do so. BID’s legally can last for up to 5 years, so the BID
team and Directors are extremely excited to have received such strong
business support to continue and develop their services.
Results announced by Electoral Reform Services on Friday 25th October
showed that 78% of those businesses who voted were in favour of the
BID.
The vote gives the go-ahead for the Business Improvement District to
drive forward their 2020 to 2025 Business Plan and secures £2.6 million
of investment in the city centre over the next five years.
Iain Watkins, Chair of the Wolverhampton BID Board and Associate
Director – Information & Data Management for the Grand Theatre said:
As Chair of the Wolverhampton BID I am very happy to be confirming that
the renewal ballot has been successful. This means that businesses in
the BID area, including some new ones previously outside the catchment,
can now look forward to enjoying the benefits of the Business
Improvement District being in place for another five years.
As well as key service provision continuing including CCTV, the
Ambassadors, business support, we can look forward to a developing
strand of events and the return of the WIRE awards, while the BID will
also maintain its important role in helping to overcome some of the
challenges facing the city centre. I’d like to thank everybody who has
voted positively for the renewal and of course the BID staff whose hard
work has helped improve the experience of everyone visiting, working in
or running a business in the city. The Board of Directors very much look
forward to exploring new ways that we can support the development of
Wolverhampton city centre in the coming years.
Cherry Shine, BID Director added “I am delighted by the fantastic
support we have received from the business community who have been
heavily involved in shaping the BID’s plans for 2020 to 2025. Our work
over the past 5 years has translated into actions with cleaner streets,
brighter Christmas light displays, seasonal events including Enjoy
Wolverhampton Live, Seaside in the City and the Christmas Grotto
bringing additional footfall into the city and strong marketing of the
city centre and its businesses to an ever-increasing audience. Our
Ambassador team are part of city life and CCTV surveillance and strong
partnership working with West Midlands Police continue to make our city
centre attractive and welcoming.”
The confidential, postal BID Ballot was run for 28 days in September
and October, ending on 24 October. Organised by the independent
Electoral Reform Services (ERS), the BID ballot papers were sent out to
all eligible voters in the City Centre BID area.
Detailed figures for the vote were as follows:
- Yes by Number: 78%
- Yes by Rateable Value: 78.6%
A majority in terms of votes cast and rateable value is legally required for a BID to be voted in.
