Canterbury BID receives business backing for its £3.6m investment plans

Canterbury Business Improvement District (BID) has won its third renewal ballot and is set to deliver at least £3.6 million of projects in the city over the next five years.

Nine out of ten of the businesses within the city walls, as well as on Northgate, St Dunstan’s and the Riverside, who voted were in support of renewing the BID from October this year to September 2029.

READ MORE: Canterbury BID looks to continue to champion city as it unveils five year plan

The ballot ran from June 6 to July 11 and saw 93% of the businesses, when measured by their rateable value, vote in favour of the BID’s continuation (up from 74% in 2019).

Lisa Carlson CEO of Canterbury BID said: "Thank you to everyone who voted. We have achieved so much in the last decade, and I am thrilled that we can continue to build and build on that work to bring in more people and make the city an even better place for our businesses to thrive."

The BID team can now deliver its latest business plan which earmarks £1.19 million to promote Canterbury, £919,000 to support local businesses, and £967,000 on enhancing the experience of visiting the city.

Paul Turner, chief operations officer at The Marlowe and vice chair of Canterbury BID, added: "As a representative of Kent’s biggest theatre, we are delighted with the BID ballot result, as we know how important it is for the city.

"Without it we would have lost so many of the things that attract visitors, and an organisation that brings businesses from all sectors together as a community with a collective voice.”

Canterbury is one of 340 BIDS across the country. These not-for-profit orgainisations are funded by the businesses that benefit from them and the money ringfenced to be spent within the BID area on initiatives agreed in a formal business plan.

Over the last ten years, the Canterbury BID has successfully unlocked £5.6 million, including more than £1 million of additional non-BID levy investment.