Business Improvement Districts Mark 20 Years Supporting Welsh High Streets
Cardiff City Centre
This month marks a significant milestone for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in Wales – two decades since the first BID was introduced. Having now become an essential part of urban regeneration, BIDs bring together businesses, local authorities, and communities to drive economic growth, improve public spaces, and support thriving local economies.
A Business Improvement District (BID) is a defined geographical area where local businesses collectively invest in services and initiatives that aim to improve the trading environment. Funded by a levy paid by the businesses within the district, with the goal of creating a better, more vibrant area for both businesses and the public, initiatives often include improvements to public spaces, events, marketing campaigns, street cleaning, security, and infrastructure, all aimed at enhancing the economic viability of the area.
With 347 BIDs operating across the UK, collectively contributing over £153 million each year, Wales has seen its own BIDs transform Welsh cities and towns across the country with projects that foster innovation, community impact, and economic resilience.
FOR Cardiff: A Model of Innovation and Resilience
As the BID for Cardiff city centre, FOR Cardiff has played a transformative role in shaping the capital's urban landscape. Established in 2016, Cardiff's city centre BID has delivered more than £14 million in additional direct investment from its resident businesses into the city centre, funding a wide range of projects that have boosted footfall, supported businesses, and enhanced the city's reputation as a retail and cultural destination.
Notable projects include the City of Arcades campaign, which attracted over 200,000 visitors in a single day and increased sales by 63% for participating retailers. The BID has also been instrumental in improving safety with initiatives like Night Marshals and mental health training for businesses. Additionally, FOR Cardiff has been recognised with four consecutive years of Purple Flag status for excellence in managing the night-time economy.
As the BID prepares to enter its third term, it remains focused on driving inclusive growth and ensuring Cardiff's city centre remains a competitive and vibrant place to do business.
'Whether it's the work we've done in helping over 460,000 people get home safely, injecting life into the independent retail scene, or delivering nationally recognised campaigns, our mission has always been to make Cardiff a city that works better for businesses and the people who use it every day. This milestone is a chance to reflect on just how much has been achieved – and to look forward with purpose.' said Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director of FOR Cardiff.
Swansea BID: Pioneering Regeneration in Wales
Swansea BID, the first of its kind in Wales, was established in 2006, marking a pioneering step for BIDs in the region. Over the past 20 years, Swansea BID has reinvested approximately £8 million into the city's regeneration efforts, helping to improve the local environment and support businesses.
Key initiatives include a successful street cleaning programme and the Billy Chip scheme, which raises awareness for mental health and homelessness. Swansea BID has also worked closely with South Wales Police to reduce crime, achieving a 48% reduction in anti-social behaviour incidents and helping SWP achieve a 76% positive outcome rate for city centre incidents.
Swansea BID has also been instrumental in supporting local events, with the Swansea Half Marathon and Krazy Karts—an event that brought nearly 20,000 people into the city in a single day—becoming staples of the city's events calendar.
Merthyr BID: Building Community and Supporting Local Businesses
Merthyr BID, known as The Big Heart of Merthyr Tydfil, was established in 2012 and has invested £1.9 million in the local area, funded entirely by business levy payments. Under the leadership of BID Manager Elizabeth Bedford, Merthyr has become a model of community engagement, with initiatives focused on bringing local residents and businesses together.
One of the BID's standout achievements has been the successful lobbying for free parking in the run-up to Christmas, a move that proved to be a major benefit for local businesses. The BID has also focused on growing community events, including the Chilli & Chocolate Festival and Merthyr Food Festival, both of which are now among the most popular events in Wales.
Merthyr BID has also made significant strides in digital marketing, growing its social media following to over 20,000 and gaining recognition through a second British BIDs Accreditation.
Looking Ahead: The Future of BIDs in Wales
As cities and towns face challenges from economic shifts, high street closures, and changing consumer habits, BIDs remain a crucial tool for businesses to come together and support one another, with FOR Cardiff, Swansea BID, and Merthyr BID standing as key examples of how collaboration and collective investment can make a real difference.
'The challenges facing retail and city centres are real—but so is the opportunity,' said Carolyn Brownell, 'We're optimistic, and we're ready to work with the business community to keep Welsh cities moving forward.'
With regeneration projects on the horizon and a focus on inclusivity and resilience, the future of BIDs in Wales looks bright.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Bargain UK retailer to shut ‘another good shop' TODAY after announcing 68 closures with huge sales launched
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR UK retailer has permanently pulled the shutters on another location. The move comes as the budget chain announced a series of store closures in recent weeks. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Another Poundland store has pulled its shutters for the last time as part of the company's restructuring (stock image) Credit: Alamy Poundland confirmed the closure of its Flintshire Retail Park location earlier this week. The shopping chain is closing 68 stores across the UK as part of a restructuring plan. A further 82 Poundland locations are reported to be at risk in the coming years. This comes after Poundland was sold to the investment firm Gordon Brothers for just £1. Flintshire is one of many store locations to launch sales in the lead up to closure. The Leader reported on the latest development, speaking to a Poundland representative ahead of the Welsh store's closure. "We've been unable to agree terms that would allow us to keep trading in Flint, and the store is planned to close on June 21," the rep said. "We'd obviously like to thank customers for their support there." The Poundland spokesperson went on to discuss the effect the closure would have on the location's staff. "It goes without saying whenever we close a store in circumstances like these, we do all we can to look for other opportunities for colleagues and that work is underway," they said. Poundland to be sold for JUST £1 as frontrunner for shock takeover is revealed after wave of store closures "With over 800 locations across the UK and Ireland, we constantly review our store portfolio as leases expire or come up for renewal. " Flintshire residents shared their disappointment over the closure on Facebook. "Such a shame," wrote one local shopper. "It happened in Bangor, same thing, now it's a charity shop. It's a shame really and we all thought prices were going down," agreed another commenter. "Such a shame these shops are closing," wrote a third Flintshire resident. Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." "Oh no, love Poundland, feel sorry for the people who work there," said another person. "It's really sad, a lot of people there [are] losing their jobs," agreed one Facebook user. Others blamed the increasing prices for the decline in Poundland's popularity. "Think the reason is the whole Poundland gimmick is gone now and other places are cheaper to buy from," pointed out one person. "Should not be allowed to call themselves Poundland when most items are costing more," agreed another commenter. "Nothing is a quid in there anymore anyway," wrote one Facebook user. "Getting too dear in there now anyways," said another local resident. A total of 200 Poundland locations were reported to be at risk amid the company's restructuring.
Leader Live
16 hours ago
- Leader Live
First Minister Eluned Morgan visits Wrexham University
Eluned Morgan MS toured the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC) during her visit to the campus, meeting students and staff and learning more about the university's ambitions under its recently launched 2030 Vision and Strategy. The EEOC, which is expected to be completed soon, is the first construction project under the North Wales Growth Deal. Professor Joe Yates, vice-chancellor of Wrexham University, said: "We were delighted to welcome the First Minister to the University today and proudly showcase our incredible facilities – in particular, our Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre, which is due to open at the start of the next academic year in September, as well as our cutting-edge Health Simulation Centre. "The visit also provided us with a welcome opportunity to highlight our newly launched 2030 Vision and Strategy, and also shine a light on how higher education institutions have a crucial role to play in helping to shape a more resilient and prosperous Wales. READ MORE: Celebrate the class of 2025 with your prom photos "Our work in building skills but also strengthening and developing a bilingual public sector workforce in North Wales, and our civic mission, in terms of providing systems leadership, demonstrates the positive impact our institution has on the communities we serve. "Thank you to the First Minister for her time and engagement with us today – it was a pleasure to welcome her, and showcase just some of our fantastic work." The First Minister toured the EEOC, which will serve as a centre for industry collaboration, research, and innovation, with the aim of supporting growth in renewables and manufacturing. Her visit came days before International Women in Engineering Day on June 23. During the tour, Ms Morgan spoke with Selina Thomas, a final-year aeronautical and mechanical engineering student, who shared her work with KnitMesh Technologies. She has been investigating the impact strength of composite materials for the North Wales-based company. The First Minister also visited the university's Health Simulation Centre, which provides immersive training environments for healthcare students and professionals. Staff highlighted the university's role in strengthening the public sector workforce in North Wales, with a focus on Welsh language provision. Since launching its Welsh Language Academic Strategy and Action Plan, 'Cyfle,' nearly three years ago, the university has introduced Welsh language modules across several degree programmes. These include speech and language therapy, professional policing, and education. Ms Morgan was also updated on the next phase of development within the university's Health and Education Innovation Quarter (HEIQ). This phase will introduce new teaching facilities, including virtual and augmented reality environments. It will also feature a new teaching and learning lab and a hydra simulation suite, developed in partnership with the Hydra Foundation. The suite will be designed to help students build decision-making skills by simulating emergency scenarios. Ms Morgan said: "I was pleased to see first-hand the facilities at Wrexham University, especially the EEOC, which will soon become a vital hub for industry collaboration and skills development across North Wales. "Through their civic work, our higher education institutions can serve as powerful anchors in their communities, supporting business and unlocking collective action to tackle inequality while preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow."
Powys County Times
17 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Letter: Welsh politics is an worsening expensive shambles
MP David Chadwick's column (County Times June 6) caused me to grieve at the histrionics of young career politicians. I congratulate him on his progress, despite setbacks, to a £93,904 MP's salary in Westminster, from April 2025, plus expenses and generous pension arrangements. His pension, unlike the state pension for the rest of us, is fully funded, so no surprise there. But penning his thoughts on the 'onslaught of pressure' to farmers, was he aware of Powys County Council's predominately Lib Dem Cabinet's decision to sell some of Powys's county-owned farms? This picking of long held 'low hanging fruit' to boost council coffers, bare through weak management across the entire county council, is short-sighted and disgraceful. This year's council tax increase is 8.9% with inflation at 3.5% (CPI). Next year, who knows? So, cost cutting across the board should be top priority. There is no alternative. Any talk of growth being sufficient to pay ever burgeoning county council costs is bunkum. If the MP was aware of the farm evictions, his column is spurious - if he was not aware, he should have been, and perhaps he and Powys's other MP, Steve Witherden, should get their heads together and bring the strongest pressure to bear on the County Council. Alongside, avoiding the political divide, Senedd members for Powys, Russell George and James Evans, should engage too. As opposed to evictions (CT June 13), cash strapped Powys County Council's cabinet members for a Fairer Powys and a More Prosperous Powys seem keen to welcome a possible 'asylum seekers' deal'. This would see the national government or Senedd handing over 'Cash to boost Powys housing stock'. For whose benefit - for displaced tenant farming families - surely not? Welsh politics is an expensive shambles, shortly to become more so, if a further 36 under-qualified lightweights join the Senedd, ready to plunder the public purse in 2026 - with a likely extra cost of £18 million annually, rising remorselessly.
