Byres Road and the Lanes Business Improvement District (BID) will remain working on behalf of West End businesses in Glasgow after member businesses voted in favour of a second five-year term.
The results of the BID ballot were received from the Depute Returning Officer at Glasgow City Council on the afternoon of the 30th March 2020 and were as follows: 45 votes in favour of the continuation of the BID. 43 votes not in favour of the continuation of the BID.
BID Chairman and local businessman, John Turner said: “We appreciate that the results of the ballot were very close, and I can assure you that we will take this into account in all that we plan to do, especially as the crisis situation eases and we plan on how to support our member businesses as things return to normal, whenever that might be.”
He continued: “In the meantime our dedicated office team will be continuing their work in providing advice, support and information to our business members to help them get through these extraordinary and difficult times.”
The postal ballot was held after the BID team put forward a business plan to member businesses earlier this year. The 2020 – 2025 Business Plan was created following a four-month long consultation process where over 200 businesses in the Byres Road and lanes area were invited to share their views on what they would like to see done to improve the area.
The business plan highlights the key issues that businesses in the area felt were important and provide a proactive action plan detailing what the BID intends to do to tackle these issues. Key issues that businesses wanted to highlight included availability of parking in the area, representing the needs of businesses to the council during the upcoming City Deal works and encouraging new businesses to fill vacant units.
The Scottish Government has recognised the important role Scotland’s 37 BIDs play in towns and cities across the country. To help cover core costs and to deliver a local COVID19 response, they will be providing BIDs with further funding through a Resilience Fund, details of which are going to be released later this week via Scotland’s Town Partnership.
This alternative central funding means that businesses will not be asked to pay their levy until further notice. The levy pays for the marketing, events and staffing undertaken by the BID.
Due to the social distancing measures being undertaken to help battle the spread of the coronavirus, the BID has had to cancel this summer’s popular Cinema in the Botanics festival. The BID team are hopeful that they can hold an event in the Autumn and have asked member businesses what type of event they would like to see in the area.
