Businesses across Bath are being encouraged to celebrate Purple Flag Week this weekend (2nd-4th October), which arrives as the city prepares for a fifth year as a Purple Flag holder.
The Purple Flag programme recognises excellence in the management of the evening and night-time economy in the UK and Ireland and is run by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM).
Across the UK, towns and cities are planning a wide-range of events to not only showcase the quality, diversity and vibrancy of their evening and night-time economy, but also to challenge the common negative, stereotypical perceptions about the safety and quality of town and city centres during the evening.
Jonathan O’Shea, Interim Chief Executive of Bath Business Improvement District (BID), explained: “We are very proud that Bath was one of the first cities to achieve Purple Flag accreditation.
“This was made possible by the financial support and practical initiatives from the BID and Bath & North East Somerset Council.
“A key element of this work for the evening and night time economy has been the Nightwatch initiative which connects licensees and the police via the latest radio technology.
“This helps to quickly identify any issues and share information among the support team. The BID Night Marshals typically help around 2,000 people every week in the city centre.
“As part of the renewal procedure we will be embarking on our self-assessment process in just over a week’s time. This is then followed by a visit from the ATCM assessors.
“The Bath BID has worked proactively to support the city’s all-important night time and evening economy, and our success in securing four successive years of Purple Flag status is testament to the good work done.
“We are confident of securing a fifth year, and with further planned improvements laid out in the Business Plan for a second BID term, we see no reason why Purple Flag accreditation shouldn’t be secured for many years to come.”
