Reading: Businesses urged to give feedback on BID proposals

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TBM Team

Reading UK has launched a consultation with businesses in the town-centre on the potential for a renewal of Reading Business Improvement District (BID) from March 2019.

The current Reading BID comes to the end of its third term in March 2019 and Reading UK is now consulting with businesses in the BID area to gauge feedback on services delivered over the past four years and ideas for services that could be delivered in a potential future BID 2019-24.

Responses to the consultation will shape the direction and priorities of any future BID. Views will be collated into a business plan to go to a vote of the businesses within the BID area in early 2019.

Bobby Lonergan, Reading BID manager, said: “The BID has underpinned the vibrancy and success of Reading town centre over the last 10 years, delivering £5 million investment in services and investment to support business growth. With the current BID due to come to the end of its third term in early 2019, we are talking to all the businesses in the BID area to assess their feedback on what the BID has delivered and their support for another five years.”

Reading BID is a defined area of the town centre which delivers a range of services including security, marketing promotions, safer and cleaner streets, exciting seasonal events and recycling. It is funded by the town-centre business community to make Reading safer, more vibrant and attractive for those who live, work and shop in the town centre. All member businesses pay a 1% levy (3% if licensed after midnight) on their business rates which funds the BID.

Since 2014, the BID has delivered over 25,000 additional PCSO (police community support officer) hours, 9,500 additional hours of CCTV coverage, over 1,000 tons of cardboard collected and recycled, the town-centre summer floral displays and Christmas lights, Purple Flag accreditation - a nationally recognised accreditation demonstrating partnership and best practice in the management of the evening and late-night economy, high-profile events such as ARENA - the BID-funded annual summer programme of free arts and cultural events in town centre and Eat Reading and much more.

A series of face-to-face meetings with businesses will be arranged over the next two months to collect feedback. The consultation document is also available online at https://livingreading.co.uk/bid

TBM Team