Rice urges Liverpool businesses to vote for BID status
Liverpool Commercial District Partnership's (CDP) chief executive Paul Rice has called on companies in the city to back the Business Improvement District (BID) plan or risk jeopardising the continued development and regeneration of the city centre area.
"The response from landlords and tenants we've spoken to so far has been overwhelmingly in favour," Rice told Insider. "We've received positive feedback across the board – from large and small businesses.
"But there are still companies that haven’t said which way they're going to vote so we'll keep working up until the deadline. We've spent much time and effort liaising with businesses about the proposals, but it'll count for nothing if the ballot doesn’t go in our favour."
More than 800 ratepayers have been balloted on the BID proposal, which seeks to raise more than £600,000 per year for enhanced marketing, maintenance and physical improvements.
Each occupier will pay a levy of 1 per cent rateable value – about £600 per year for the majority of organisations. All businesses with a rateable value of £10,000 or more are eligible to vote whether to accept the BID status proposals.
Rice said Liverpool CDP was established in 2006 to "provide a leadership role for the private sector" in the heart of the city, but the organisation has operated on a voluntary basis since its inception and funding has dwindled.
"We've existed on voluntary contributions, but we're at a stage where some businesses are questioning why they should keep paying when others aren’t doing," he said. "Much of my time is also spent trying to raise income, rather than delivering our business plan."
Rice said Liverpool's commercial district has a "huge amount of potential" to be developed further, but it needs to become a BID so that this activity, and larger scale initiatives, can be continued over the next five years.
He added that if businesses vote against the BID proposals, Liverpool CDP would have to operate on a project-to-project basis and would only be able to work on "one-off improvements".
The proposed BID area would be bounded by Leeds Street in the north and James Street in the south and run from west-east from The Strand to Pall Mall, mirroring the boundaries currently controlled by Liverpool CDP.
Liverpool Commercial District Partnership's (CDP) chief executive Paul Rice has called on companies in the city to back the Business Improvement District (BID) plan or risk jeopardising the continued development and regeneration of the city centre area.
"The response from landlords and tenants we've spoken to so far has been overwhelmingly in favour," Rice told Insider.
"We've received positive feedback across the board – from large and small businesses."But there are still companies that haven’t said which way they're going to vote so we'll keep working up until the deadline. We've spent much time and effort liaising with businesses about the proposals, but it'll count for nothing if the ballot doesn’t go in our favour."
More than 800 ratepayers have been balloted on the BID proposal, which seeks to raise more than £600,000 per year for enhanced marketing, maintenance and physical improvements.
Each occupier will pay a levy of 1 per cent rateable value – about £600 per year for the majority of organisations. All businesses with a rateable value of £10,000 or more are eligible to vote whether to accept the BID status proposals.Rice said Liverpool CDP was established in 2006 to "provide a leadership role for the private sector" in the heart of the city, but the organisation has operated on a voluntary basis since its inception and funding has dwindled.
"We've existed on voluntary contributions, but we're at a stage where some businesses are questioning why they should keep paying when others aren’t doing," he said.
"Much of my time is also spent trying to raise income, rather than delivering our business plan."
Rice said Liverpool's commercial district has a
"huge amount of potential" to be developed further, but it needs to become a BID so that this activity, and larger scale initiatives, can be continued over the next five years.
He added that if businesses vote against the BID proposals, Liverpool CDP would have to operate on a project-to-project basis and would only be able to work on "one-off improvements".
The proposed BID area would be bounded by Leeds Street in the north and James Street in the south and run from west-east from The Strand to Pall Mall, mirroring the boundaries currently controlled by Liverpool CDP.
‹
Back
The Capital, 39 Old Hall Street, Liverpool
L3 9PP
Telephone: +44(0)151 600 2900
Email:
info@liverpoolvision.co.uk