What a YES vote for the North Notts BID means to Bassetlaw
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) aren’t new – towns, cities and industrial areas across the UK have been successfully running BIDs since 2005, and voting to renew them every 5 years – a very positive endorsement of the value of BIDs. There are currently over 250 BIDs in the UK with our close neighbours Lincoln, Mansfield and Nottingham already BID towns.
But there is something new about North Notts’ exciting and ambitious plans for Bassetlaw – we’re aiming to become the very first area-wide Business Improvement District (BID) in the UK!
The benefits for everyone in Bassetlaw are enormous as a successful BID vote will mean the chance to raise a minimum of £3.2m over the next 5 years, to be invested on key projects and services to improve and boost the local trading environment. The BID is solely business managed and led – our local businesses, large and small, have been working together to identify the most beneficial projects and services to our region. A YES vote will mean that businesses can then continue the work and use the funding raised by the BID for actioning and delivering them.
Businesses in our region were consulted on what they felt the region needed to prosper. They took all sectors into account including retail, industrial and rural businesses and that consultation has resulted in a 5 year BID Business Plan which aims to address the main business needs identified:
- The Place for business and Innovation
The BID will help businesses to grow and prosper and position North Nottinghamshire as the place to do business. We will introduce peer-to-peer networks where local businesses can share experiences; offer access to funding and business support and look to bring empty commercial units back into use, providing support to new and emerging businesses. - Make Savings
With 1000+ businesses within the proposed BID area we will encourage and promote business-to-business trading and encourage all businesses across all sectors to ‘buy local’. The collective strength of these BID businesses across the area will achieve economies of scale to provide instant savings and added value for your business, to include: Gas & electricity, telecoms & broadband to name but a few. - Safe and Secure
We will work with partners including the Police and Council to ensure that your towns, villages, industrial and rural areas are a secure and safe place to work, live and visit through improved monitoring, security and surveillance. - Marketing our Area
We will actively promote North Notts both locally and nationally as a destination of choice. We will introduce coordinated seasonal retail and leisure campaigns to drive footfall into our area. - Clear Navigation
We also plan to create a clear and distinctive welcome for all through branded directional signage and parking for locals and visitors. Ensure boundaries and key gateways for each town, village and business park are clearly defined. - Keeping Talent Local
We will work with local employers and education and training providers to ensure that people are fully aware of what is available locally so that they don’t feel the need to migrate out when looking for education or career opportunities. By recruiting locally, employers have the advantage of employees with a greater knowledge of the area with less disruptions due to traffic or weather. - Clean and Welcoming
Working with partners we will ensure that our towns, villages and country roads are clean and well maintained. We will introduce more landscaping and ensure that businesses benefit from the local and national exposure awards like ‘Britain in Bloom’ can bring. - Modern and Productive
We will install free wifi in the four main towns and encourage local businesses to promote themselves as wifi hotspots. We will also review current broadband speeds and look to extend the existing microwave broadband for rural businesses. - Tourism
Visitors come to the area for a variety of reasons. A day visitor (stays for more than 3 hours) spends around £35 a visit and an overnight visitor spends £150 a visit. The Visitor and Tourist Economy will be boosted by offering a well-connected package of events and experiences to encourage more people, more often, staying longer and spending more. - Add Value
Ensure that BID products and services are additional to what the Council and partners already provide. Along with the introduction of new services these will enhance the offer and add value for our businesses.
To find more information about the North Notts BID, how it will affect your business, the advantages to Bassetlaw and your business, the geographic region the NN BID covers, how the BID works, how the BID funding is raised, etc. please visit www.votewin.co.uk
What happens next?
All eligible businesses to vote will receive notification of the ballot and voting then takes place between Tuesday 18th April and Tuesday 16th May, closing at 5pm on 16th.
The ballot result will be announced on 17th May.
A YES vote will create a budget of £3.2million, with the ability to significantly increase this with voluntary BID membership subscriptions and with match funding. This means around £650,000 can be spent each year on improving the business environment and life in Bassetlaw.
A NO vote means nothing changes and a golden opportunity missed.
More information about the BID is available for you to download here:
Or visit North Notts BID website here.
