Town’s day and night time traders back exploratory research into Wrexham Business Improvement District

Early stage investigations into create a ‘BID’ or Business Improvement District for Wrexham are to take place.

Wrexham’s Nightsafe group backed the idea yesterday afternoon, then later at the Town Centre Forum meeting in Tŷ Pawb also backed the plan.

A BID is based around a geographic area with a small extra rates tax levied and ringfenced to be spent by an independent BID company made up of businesses taking part – the idea being a collective generates and spends the money how they see fit, so it is business-led and business-funded. A BID is formed after a vote, and if passed can effectively be enforced on those who voted against or did not take part in the vote.

A UK-wide BID survey of 283 BIDs states a 1.5% levy rate is used by 28% of BIDs; 27% of BIDs operate with a levy rate of 1%; and 10% of BIDs have a rate of 2% or greater.

BIDs often focus on improving the public realm, creating a better trading environment for local businesses.

The Town Centre Forum had a lower than normal turnout, perhaps not helped by the gridlocked traffic and mini-monsoon outside, however higher trader to council-connected-person ratio, all whom were in favour at looking at the idea further and forming up a plan of action.

As we reported in 2013 the Town Centre Forum requested that Wrexham Council put forward a request for funding from the Welsh Government to pay for a feasibility study for a BID in Wrexham. The request was kicked off by then Chairman Kevin Critchley, with the idea seemingly dropping off the radar under the chairmanship of Nigel Lewis, and more lately Alex Jones – however the latter was behind reviving it in both Nightsafe and the Forum yesterday.

Previously then councillor Neil Rogers told us  ‘several hundred letters’ were written years ago to local businesses to gauge the appetite for a Wrexham BID however ‘nearly no responses’ were received. Last night that attempt was referenced by council officers and Alex Jones, who added that “times have changed and things have moved on.”

Last night’s meeting was given a brief overview of how a BID could work, with the outcomes being further investigation on how a BID could be established, work with Wrexham Council to discover where the ‘town centre’ is currently defined.

The meeting also appeared to be in favour of an informal fact finding mission up and down the A483 to neighbouring towns and cities where BID’s have existed for many years to learn what they do, and how they formed.

The move to establish a BID could come ten months too late to access Welsh Government funding specifically there to help fund such early investigations, with a pot of £260,000 shared out to ten areas that are looking to create BID’s.

The meeting was also notable as Chair Alex Jones stepped down after a nearly two year term, and a competitive secret ballot was held, with Wayne Price elected Chair and Andy Gallanders Vice-Chair. Meetings due to change back to the regular first Tuesday of the month slots, and it looks likely they will be held in the early evening rather than early morning affairs that turned many off attending.