Agenda item

Referring to minutes 29 of 5 July 2011 and 142 of 9 February 2016, to consider whether to support the renewal of the Chichester Business Improvement District (BID) and, if so, to make arrangements for a ballot to be held of businesses in Chichester City Centre.

RESOLVED

(1)  That the ‘Renewal Business Proposal’ prepared by Chichester Business Improvement District (BID) be agreed by the Cabinet and, accordingly, renewal of the BID for further term of five years be supported.

(2)  That the Ballot Holder (Chief Executive) be instructed to hold a BID ballot.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

That the Leader of the Council be authorised to vote in accordance with Cabinet’s decision in relation to the ballot to renew the BID.

Referring to minutes 29 of 5 July 2011 and 142 of 9 February 2016, the Cabinet considered the report and appendices circulated with the agenda (copies attached to the official minutes).

In view of Mrs Keegan’s declaration of a prejudicial interest, Mrs Lintill introduced the report. She explained that Chichester’s City Centre Business Improvement District (BID) was one of over 200 BIDs in place across the country. Chichester BID had been established five years ago, its formation being driven by this Council’s Economic Development Service in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce.

A number of City Centre functions, formerly undertaken or overseen by the Council, had been transferred to the BID, including:

·         City Centre management and events

·         the annual Christmas lights

·         the ChiBAC (Chichester Business Against Crime) initiative

Since 2012, Chichester BID had also provided a good deal of marketing and promotion of the City Centre, and improved its physical organisation and general safety and security

BIDs were business led partnerships created through a ballot process with all business ratepayers in the BID area voting on whether the BID goes ahead. By law a BID had to be renewed every five years, giving business ratepayers the opportunity to vote again to decide whether or not the BID should continue for a further term

Chichester’s City Centre BID was nearing the end of its first five-year term and wished to seek renewal for a further term of five years. Accordingly, it had undertaken extensive consultation with local businesses and had prepared its Renewal Business Proposal for the next five years.

While the BID did not achieve everything it set out to do in its first term, overall it had been a success, and, for its second term, proposed to build on those successes.

If the BID was not renewed it would cease from 31st March 2017. A number of City Centre management, organisational and promotional functions would then stop or need to be re-allocated to other bodies, including Christmas lights and festivities, events and promotions, ChiBac and city centre safety, advocacy and support to businesses. Similarly, the additional activities proposed for the next five years would not happen.

The progress of the BID had been reviewed annually by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and at its meeting on 5 July the Committee had recommended the Cabinet to support the BID’s renewal plans and that the level of support provided by the Council to the BID’s strategic partnership be considered and that a brief report be requested to identify how joint objectives could be better delivered.

The BID’s Renewal Business Proposal was in line with the Council’s strategic objectives, and complemented its emerging strategy for the visitor economy and the Chichester Vision.

Mr Oates (Economic Development Manager) added that national experience was that BID’s achieved reasonable success in their first term, and developed more strongly in their second term. The BID was proposing to be far more proactive in its next term and would focus on:

• Strategic partnerships with the Council, the Chamber and Visit Chichester
• Improved communications and advocacy on behalf of businesses
• Marketing and events across the year
• Developing the City’s visitor economy
• Better support to businesses through data provision and other activity
• Public realm improvements and city centre safety

The BID proposed to increase the levy on the business community by 0.25% to 1.25 %, in order to increase marketing and develop the visitor economy. This additional funding would be ring-fenced for these purposes. As a result some £1.57m would be available to deliver the programme over five years.

The BID was undertaking a considerable programme of consultation with businesses. 120 businesses had been visited to date by the BID renewal team, the majority of whom had confirmed they would vote ‘Yes’.

The BID was proposing the following timescale, although this would be for the Ballot Holder to determine:

14 September  Notice of the ballot from the Ballot Holder to the Levy Payers

3 October Ballot papers sent out to eligible voters

21 October Deadline for appointments of proxy

3 November  Ballot Day: voting closes at 5pm

4 November  Ballot count and announcement of the result

The BID supported Objective 3 under the Economy section of the Corporate Plan, i.e. ‘Promote the city and town centres as vibrant places to do business’.

The Chairman commented that renewal of the BID was worth supporting. It generated over £300,000 per annum for its activities, and the Council’s contribution as a business ratepayer was only about £10,000. Its activities made the BID good partners for the Chichester Vision and Southern Gateway projects.

In answer to a question from Mr Barrow, Mr Oates explained that a successful ballot required a ‘yes’ vote from over 50% of businesses voting, and the total rateable value of those voting ‘yes’ must exceed that of those voting ‘no’.

RESOLVED

(1)  That the ‘Renewal Business Proposal’ prepared by Chichester Business Improvement District (BID) be agreed by the Cabinet and, accordingly, renewal of the BID for further term of five years be supported.

(2)  That the Ballot Holder (Chief Executive) be instructed to hold a BID ballot.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

That the Leader of the Council be authorised to vote in accordance with Cabinet’s decision in relation to the ballot to renew the BID.