The three Business Improvement Districts in the middle of Bristol are set to merge into one, which could unlock £17 million of investment for the city centre in the next five years.
The new Business Improvement District (BID) would cover the whole area currently served by three different BID teams – the one for Broadmead, the rest of the city centre and the one for Redcliffe and Temple on the other side of the Floating Harbour.
The BIDs work by imposing an extra local business tax on shops, restaurants and other businesses within the BID areas, with local business owners getting involved in running initiatives to improve their areas and increase the number of people visiting.
The Broadmead BID was the first, closely followed by the BID for the rest of the city centre, covering the Old City, the area around Park Street and The Centre. A BID was in place for ten years for Bedminster, which covered East Street, North Street and West Street in BS3, but was ended by a vote of local business people to discontinue the BID team.
Now, business leaders in the city centre said they believe uniting the city centre BIDs under ‘one vision’, while ‘strengthening the city’s economic vitality and reputation’. It will need a vote from businesses in those areas, and if approved, will officially launch in a year’s time, in November 2025.
The three different BID teams that cover Broadmead, the city centre and Temple and Redcliffe have worked together successfully before on a range of initiatives, including the Bristol Light Festival, which brings tens of thousands of people to the city centre and Redcliffe in February – a traditionally quieter time for visitor numbers. The BIDs also run the TAP for Bristol homelessness charity donation scheme, and are also part of the Business Crime Reduction Partnership.
“By pooling resources, the new BID will enhance city-wide projects, extend initiatives to more areas and ensure a consistent delivery of services,” said a spokesperson. “The new Bristol BID will focus on four core delivery themes, each designed to benefit businesses, residents and visitors.”
Those four themes include promoting the city centre with more events like the Light Festival, as well as increasing investment in the night-time economy and creating a new Bristol Shopping website, creating new roles to make the city centre safer, cleaning up the city centre with a larger graffiti removal service, and also make the city centre greener with better recycling.
“The proposed Bristol BID is a strategic move that will unlock new potential for our city,” explained Steve Bluff, the director of Redcliffe & Temple BID. “It allows us to streamline resources, reduce duplication and create a more powerful voice for businesses. By working collectively, we can address challenges more effectively and deliver greater value for all those that work, visit and live in the city,” he added.
Vicky Lee, the director of the Bristol City Centre BID, said pooling the funds from the businesses across the city centre will ‘deliver more value’.
“This is a vital investment in the future of our city,” she said. “The additional funds will enable us to deliver more value through impactful projects that create a cleaner, safer and more vibrant city for everyone. By coming together, we ensure that every business – large or small – reaps the rewards of a thriving, prosperous Bristol,” she added.
And Vivienne Kennedy, the director of the Broadmead BID, said: “This unified Bristol BID is about maximising our impact and strategically investing in the city’s future.
“By consolidating efforts, we can leverage our combined resources to elevate projects like the Bristol Light Festival and enhance the visitor experience, while driving footfall and economic growth across the city,” she added.