Renewing the BID. Plymouth has two highly successful Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), together representing in excess of 1,300 businesses across the City Centre and Waterfront and targeting a total value of £16.3m of investment within their geographies. A series of consultations will invite waterfront businesses and members to renew the Waterfront BID to create a further five-year period of targeted project delivery and investment.
What is the BID?
The BIDs work in close partnership with Plymouth City Council and Destination Plymouth. The four organisations work together to enhance the city’s Visitor Economy, together deliver to one plan, with one shared team and a pooled budget. Many successes have arisen from this innovative partnership, including significant strides that have been taken in improving the city’s profile regionally, nationally and, in some cases, internationally.
The Plymouth Waterfront Partnership (PWP) is a not-for-profit PLC which administers the Waterfront BID across three square miles of the Waterfront area, including the Royal William Yard, Millbay, West Hoe, The Hoe, Barbican, Sutton Harbour, Bretonside and Queen Anne’s Battery Marina. Businesses across this area annually invest 1.5% of their Business’ Rateable Value toward projects within a Waterfront Business Plan.
Set up in 2012, the Waterfront BID leads delivery of this forty-two project Waterfront Business Plan, including investments in Marketing, Visitor Signage, Events, Cleansing, Safety and Regeneration. More than ninety-three per cent of the Business Plan has been delivered.
Why Should We Renew the Waterfront BID?
The Waterfront BID will come to its agreed end on 31st March 2017.
PWP is proposing, to both Waterfront businesses and Plymouth City Council, to renew the Waterfront BID to create a further five-year period of targeted project delivery and investment.
PWP has been in consultation with Waterfront businesses, Plymouth City Council, Destination Plymouth, the City Centre Company and Plymouth Culture, with a proposal to create Waterfront BID2 for operation between 1st April 2017 and 31st March 2022. Thank you if you have contributed. Great projects have been suggested for inclusion within the Waterfront BID2 Business Plan.
PWP unveiled the DRAFT Waterfront BID2 Business Plan this week
What Happens Next?
Members of the Waterfront BID are invited to come along to one of three consultation workshops to discuss the DRAFT Waterfront BID2 Business Plan, choose from either:
- Tuesday 20th September, 10am - 12pm, The Duke of Cornwall Hotel - Hayward Room
- Wednesday 12th October, 2pm - 4pm, The Duke of Cornwall Hotel - Millbay Room
- Monday 24th October, 6pm - 8pm, The Duke of Cornwall Hotel - The Ballroom
You can also email [email protected]
This final round of consultation ends 31st October 2016.
After that?
Following this consultation, PWP will create a FINAL Waterfront BID2 Business Plan. During February, PWP will invite more than eight hundred Waterfront businesses to take part in a Ballot to vote ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ for Waterfront BID2.
The renewed BID will only go ahead if a majority of businesses vote in favour of its creation and their further investment. This means we have to get the Waterfront Business Plan just right…
Stay in touch through the Waterfront BID’s communications:
Twitter: @PWPBID
Facebook: Plymouth Waterfront Partnership
Website: www.waterfrontbid.co.uk
What Happens If the Waterfront BID is not renewed?
This is the most important time for Plymouth’s Waterfront, as we shape a delivery plan to prepare for the Mayflower 400 commemorations in 2020.
Working with three key partner organisations PWP is beginning to motor and build momentum, raising Plymouth’s profile as a UK tourist destination and a city in which to invest.
Having no PWP Waterfront BID is like ‘a wheel coming off the bus’ for the city’s Visitor Economy.
Plymouth is Britain’s Ocean City. A place of Marine expertise in Education, Science and Technology; a destination of fabulous arts, culture and major events; the home of centuries of heritage and pioneering exploration involving Drake, Scott, Darwin, Cook and the Mayflower Pilgrims; our city is one of green and blue, with Dartmoor to the North and the spectacular Waterfront setting to the South.
The Waterfront is a key driver for Plymouth’s economic success and sets our great city apart.
The Waterfront BID is a call to action.
