Carlisle City Centre BID
Local businesses asked for their views
(Date of issue: Friday, 3 February 2012)
Retailers and businesses, in and around Carlisle’s main city
centre shopping area, are being asked their views on a potential
creation of a new Business Improvement District (BID) for Carlisle
city centre.
A newsletter setting out what a BID is, and what benefits it
might bring, is being distributed together with a survey asking
shops and other businesses what they see as important to help them
maintain or improve their business.
There are already over 120 city centre BIDs up and down the
country in places such as Newcastle, Preston, Blackpool and York,
with typical benefits including enhanced marketing and events
helping to increase the numbers of visitors to the main city centre
shopping areas.
The initiative is being driven by a business-led project
steering group that has already brought together city centre
businesses including the Crown & Mitre, Cranston’s, Debenhams,
Hoopers, House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer and The Lanes, in
partnership with the City Council.
The on-going success of the city centre area is seen as a vital
ingredient of the wider Carlisle economy, attracting shoppers from
a wide catchment area together with increasing numbers of
tourists.
Mark Stokes, Manager of Hoopers, who is part of the BID Steering
Group, said:
“The creation of a BID for Carlisle is a real opportunity for
businesses to influence how the city centre is promoted and
managed. This will help to ensure that we remain competitive as a
shopping destination. There are lots of examples of successful BIDs
in a host of other towns and cities, so we are urging businesses to
get behind the plans to create a BID here in Carlisle.”
Cllr Marilyn Bowman, Portfolio holder for Economic Development,
said:
“City centre shopping areas are under increasing economic
pressure, so anything that can be done to support and improve the
city centre area must be a good thing. A City Centre Business
Improvement District is designed to foster a stronger and more
formal relationship between the City Council and business owners
resulting in better marketing of the city centre, continuation of a
strong events programme, and ensuring a safe, accessible and
welcoming city centre that people come to by choice.”