The Bath Business Improvement District, known as Bath BID, has launched its third five-year term after local businesses voted in favour of continuing the project.
The Bath BID is part of a national movement where companies in specific areas vote to pool their resources and support a range of initiatives designed to help their businesses be more successful.
In the recent ballot, 89% of eligible businesses voted in favour of a further five-year term for the Bath BID, representing a 40% turnout, allowing the ten-year project to continue until 2026.
As the organisation moves into its third term, the BID will now commence work on delivering the goals it set out in its new Business Plan, which focus on four key strategic themes: a Welcoming City, a Smart City, a Connected City, and a Successful City.
Bath BID offers a programme of services including the Rangers and volunteer Welcome Ambassadors.
The organisation also provides other direct business benefits including a trade waste discount, business intelligence and city promotion.
Within its new five-year plan, the organisation will also be delivering a number of new projects.
Among these will be seven-day-a-week security support for all businesses in the city, free staff training opportunities, a new independent business partnership, and a programme of campaigns, networking and social activities to build links between different sectors in the city.
Allison Herbert, Chief Executive of the Bath BID, said: “We are delighted to be moving into our third five-year term, having had such a positive mandate from the businesses of Bath.
“We are particularly pleased that despite the difficult circumstances, businesses have placed their trust in the BID to help secure a bright future for Bath.
“The challenges faced in Bath city centre are complex, and the pace of the changes impacting the city has been accelerated by the pandemic.
“The Bath BID is well-placed to help deal with the challenges and support positive change, help tackle environmental issues, make the best of development opportunities, increase the profile of the city as a place to do business, and improve the quality of life for the people who use the place.
“Our key aim is to improve our area for the benefit of its users, making it more accessible to more of the communities surrounding Bath and to reflect the principles at the heart of place management – the process of making places better.”
