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Testing the feasibility of a Business Improvement District (BID) in Swindon

A Business Questionnaire by The means

What is a Business Improvement District or BID?
BIDs are designed to improve the economic performance of an area. There are currently more than 300 BIDs in the UK, with more on the way. BIDs create significant sums of investment across the UK and participating businesses and employers use the monies they gather through a small levy to pay for such items as events. street furniture, improved public realm, Christmas lighting, additional security, CCTV, local discount schemes, bulk buying, apprenticeships and work experience, deeper street cleaning and recycling.
Why are The means undertaking a feasibility study?
There are many benefits for businesses becoming part of a BID. It enables businesses to buy in services above and beyond that which they can achieve through standard business rates. In this way, they can promote themselves and the local area more effectively, attract more customers and increase both pedestrian flow and income. BIDs are private sector-led, but the Council wants to explore if businesses themselves are keen on this model. Following this survey, we propose to establish a Steering Group with local businesses and supported by Swindon Borough Council, and to feed back the results of this survey.
1.Background information.
2.Type of business:
3.Is your business:
4.How many people are employed by this business?
5.How many years has the business been in town?
6.In the last six months, has your business / turnover:
7.Looking to the future, are you:
8.Are you currently recruiting staff?
9.Are / were you a member of a business association or group?
10.How do the majority of your customers / clients currently access your products and / or services?
11.Do you currently provide any online / digital services for your customers to access your products / services? You can select more than one.
12.Is there one recent event or local initiative that you feel has particularly benefitted your business?
13.Do you believe the town is changing?
14.On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is "not at all" and 5 is "significant", how much of a problem would you say the following are in town?
1 (not)
2
3
4
5 (big)
a. Cleanliness of streets
b. Recruitment / retention of staff
c. Visitors finding their way to your premises
d. Quality of public areas (look/feel)
e. Vacant retail units
f. Town reputation/image
g. Anti-social behaviour
h. General fear of crime (theft / vandalism)
i. Poor behaviour of other traders
j. Availability of public transport
k. Congestion / impact of traffic
l. Parking
15.Do you think the following could improve trading conditions?
Yes
No
Unsure
a. CCTV (extension and greater monitoring)
b. Street wardens / ranger service
c. More pedestrian-friendly town centre
d. Additional street cleaning
e. Local shopping / loyalty card
f. Increased promotional activity / events
g. Business networking events / training
h. Fewer vacant units
i. Information on new developments / impacts
j. Improvements to public spaces
k. Collective purchasing of services to reduce business costs
l. Improvements to public transport
m. Opportunities to supply goods / services to the council / local businesses
Establishing a BID
Swindon Borough Council is seeking to work together with the local business community to improve trading conditions and to explore new and innovative commercial opportunities for the town. This may take shape in the form of a BID (Business Improvement District).

There are four distinctive things about a BID:
  1. BID is set up by a democratic ballot of all businesses in the proposed BID area.
  2. If the ballot is successful, the businesses pay generally a 1% levy based on the current rateable value of their property to create a pot of money which they get to spend as they see fit, tackling issues which have been identified by them.
  3. A BID management board will be set up to run the BID.
  4. BID services have to be in addition to the services provided by the council.
(These cannot be used to subsidise council services. Council Services are paid for by your business rates and are not spent exclusively in your area but go into a central pot to be distributed as the government sees fit.)
16.Do you think that a BID should be tested at a ballot in the town?
17.Would you be interested in taking a leadership role within a potential future business organisation?
18.What should the town centre try to be in the future (given the changes in the way people shop)?
19.What 'feeling' should marketing and comms for Swindon town centre give in the future?
20.What (few) words best describe your personal vision for a renewed centre?
21.Any other comments.