A group of business owners is leading a campaign to unite over 300 local businesses in Carlisle to promote the city and strengthen its economy.
The Great Border City group (GBCg) supports plans to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) in the Cathedral city.
Carlisle’s BID, which must be approved and funded by local businesses, has been described by the GBCg as designed to operate as “a collective voice” for business owners in the city.
The BID will work to organise city-wide events to attract residents, tourists, and investment.
Kevin Beaty, co-director of the steering group, said marketing the city would encourage “people to come and live and work here” and make the city a “better place”.
“We get the feeling everyone loves Carlisle, but it just feels a little bit like it isn’t punching above its weight at the moment,” Mr Beaty said. “It may be that just a little snick of something could make it a much better place to live and work.”
Mr Beaty said he had contacted aproximately 300 local businesses, most of which supported the BID
Among these was the chairman of Carlisle United, Tom Piatak, who said. “As we’re investing in the football club, it’s important to invest in the city and the community as well.”
“The time is right to invest in Carlisle. Let’s not waste this opportunity to make this city grow.”
Simon Harrison, owner of the Cecil Street Halston Hotel, expressed his support, noting that the BID would provide a single organisation to represent all businesses.
“We have a World Heritage site, we have a cathedral, we have a castle, we’ve got an amazing museum, we’ve got a growing population and we’ve got the university moving into the city centre,” he said.
“But after all this money [is] spent, you need a vehicle, you need an entity that all the businesses can trust – to animate the city, to put on events and to be a collective voice of the city.”
The Carlisle BID plans to employ a grant application writer to assist small businesses in accessing funding.
Hundreds of BIDs already operate across the country, including in nearby cities such as Penrith, Newcastle, and Sunderland.
Businesses with a rateable value of at least £15,000 would pay 1.5 per cent of their rate to fund the BID if it is approved. Yet this is a cost that Mr Beaty believes represents a good investment for the city.
“Any extra cost is bad isn’t it?” Mr Beaty explained. “But we’ve set this across Carlisle as one of the lowest rate rates for a levy.”
Business Improvement Districts are partnerships formed through a ballot process to provide additional services for local firms. They allow businesses and local authorities to collaborate to improve the trading environment, fund projects beyond standard local authority services, and enhance security, cleansing, and other amenities.
A BID is proposed by a local authority, business ratepayer, or company with an interest in the area and must outline the services, levy, and financial arrangements.
Ballots are managed by the local authority, with approval requiring a simple majority in both votes cast and rateable value. Appeals against the establishment of a BID can be submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities if material irregularities occur during the ballot.
Once established, a BID operates for up to five years, after which a new ballot is required to continue activities. The BID body, typically a not-for-profit company, manages operations and finances, while the local authority collects the levy and holds it in a ring-fenced account.
Complaints about a BID are initially addressed to the BID body or local authority, with escalation possible through the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Given the successes seen by BIDs in other parts of the country, Mr Beaty and others believe this is worth the effort.
“We’ve looked at Sunderland, we’ve looked at Newcastle – and the benefits they bring back to businesses are more than the money they spend,” Mr Beaty said.
