Blackpool BID

In August 2005, under Nigel Hanson’s leadership and after extensive consultations with town centre businesses, organisations and other stakeholders, followed by a substantial vote in favour, Blackpool’s first Business Improvement District (BID) was created, covering the town centre. This was the first Business Improvement District created in the North West.

Nigel Hanson

The creation of the BID now meant that instead of the previous voluntary funding arrangement for the Town Centre Forum, all rateable businesses and organisations within the BID Boundary would now be obliged to pay an annual BID levy contribution, based on their rateable value. This would fund a five year programme of initiatives resulting from the previous consultations, which had formed the platform on which the vote had been taken.

The core aims of the BID were to;

1 – Enhance the safety and security of the daytime and night time economies

2 – Develop and manage an improved and more attractive town centre environment

3 – Give the over 400 BID members a collective voice in consultations on all manner of town centre aspects.

4 – Introduce initiatives to improve the quality of experience of town centre users

5 – Promote and improved retail offer

6 – Establish and monitor baseline service agreements with the Police and Blackpool Council

7 – Create regular marketing and promotional campaigns

8 – Introduce and manage high quality town centre festivals and events

9 – Signpost and facilitate business training and support opportunities for the town centre businesses.

In December 2007, Nigel Hanson retired, his position as BID Manager taken over by his deputy Eileen Ormand. Nigel continues to live on the Fylde coast, and has become a published crime fiction writer since 2020. His three books are available in local bookstores and online through the links below:

Since its creation, the BID has been renewed through further votes and has attracted millions of pounds of investments. The BID Steering Group and team have worked tremendously hard to build on the successes of the previous years, to ensure that Blackpool town centre continues to thrive, attract more customers and maintain its national position in the UK visitor economy. To confirm that the BID was living up to expectations, town centre businesses were given a chance to vote whether to continue having the levy added to their annual business rates for another five years or not. To communicate that the BID had been giving value to ratepayers, a campaign was initiated, including the production of brochures, newsletters and window stickers.

On 14 November 2010, the BID put on the Christmas Lights Switch-On event in Blackpool Town Centre with Joe McElderry doing the honours, largely due to the efforts of Eileen Ormond. The video clip and photos featured below were taken at the event and are shown here in an exclusive to Blackpool Timeline.

For more up-to-date information, please visit the BID website.