City Central. Business Improvement District (BID) Business Plan

Transcription

1 City Central Business Improvement District (BID) Business Plan

2 Contents How a Business Improvement District (BID) works P 2-3 Executive Summary P 4-5 Vision, Aims and Objectives P 6 Recommendations P 7 Safety and Environment P 8-9 Animation and Marketing P Financial and additional benefits P Financial Management P Current Services and Baselining P 16 Governance and Management P 17 Conclusion P 18 How a Business Improvement District (BID) works Activities in Liverpool City Central BID have had a clear impact since its inception in This will continue over the next five year term by continuously driving the standards and City Central BID branding sufficiently so that it can both compete effectively with, and draw benefits from, any major city centre developments. BIDs were established under the Local Government Finance Act (2003) and are financed by a levy, collected through the business rate, to pay for additional services, over and above those currently provided by the public sector. BIDs are based on a successful city centre management model adopted throughout North America, where businesses have a more direct say in how the city centre is managed and promoted. An agreement to maintain or improve upon existing levels of service is a pre-requisite for any BID and guarantees the additionality of any services provided and paid for through the BID levy. A ratepayer will be entitled to vote for a BID during a ballot if, on the date Liverpool City Council (LCC) publishes the notice of ballot on behalf of the BID Company, the ratepayer falls within the class of nondomestic ratepayer to be liable for the BID levy. In the case of an empty hereditament (rateable property) the property owner or current leaseholder will be liable to vote. More details on the voting process can be obtained by ing: gerrard.gibbons@citycentralbid.net BIDs are fundamentally a fair and equitable way to deliver the key additional services that businesses want. All businesses in the City Central BID area, except those with a rateable value below 10,000 p.a., will pay the same 1.2% of their rateable value to provide the core BID levy funding to deliver the business plan. The City Central area A full listing of the streets in the newly proposed BID area is: Basnett Street, Bold Street, Brythen Street, Button Street, Cases Street, Cavern Walks Shopping Centre, Central Shopping Centre, Church Alley, Church Street, Clayton Square, Clayton Square Shopping Centre, Great Charlotte Street, Harrington Street, Hood Street, Houghton Lane, Houghton Street, Leigh Street, Lime Street (Holiday Inn), Lord Street (part), Mathew Street, Metquarter, Parker Street, Queen Square, Rainford Gardens, Ranelagh Street, Renshaw Street (part), Richmond Street, Roe Street, Sir Thomas Street (part), St Johns Lane, St Johns Shopping Centre, Stanley Street (part), Tarleton Street, Temple Court, Whitechapel (part), Williamson Square, Williamson Street and all areas within these streets. Putting Liverpool City Central BID into context Liverpool City Central BID is one of almost 100 BIDs across the country with BIDs becoming increasingly the preferred model of management for UK towns and cities. The Liverpool City Region has the fastest growing economy in the country (outside of London) and includes blue chip companies such as Jaguar/Land Rover, Littlewoods, Grosvenor and Peel. Liverpool s annual economy is now worth almost 9bn and Merseyside 20bn, and continues to grow. Liverpool s GVA per head has risen recently by 14.4%, and now stands at 99% of the UK average, while Merseyside s is at 73% (2009 data from ONS). Despite the European recession, early indications show that Liverpool s economy is contracting at a slower rate than the UK average and was the most robust of the UK s core cities providing confidence it will be able to maintain its position for the foreseeable future. With 88% of City Central BID members in the retail and leisure sector, major competitors include the Trafford Centre, Manchester city centre, New Mersey Retail Park, Chester, Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet and Gemini Retail Park. This means Liverpool City Central BID must continue to offer distinct Unique Selling Points to attract the mobile consumer, clearly establishing both the choice and experience messages in their minds and delivering to a high standard in reality.

3 4 Executive Summary Ian Ward Chairman of City Central BID Ed Oliver Chairman of Liverpool BID Company Liverpool has undergone a huge transformation over the past decade, none more so than in the retail landscape. The arrival of Liverpool ONE, Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) Liverpool, Cruise Terminal, the Museum of Liverpool and the overall renaissance of the waterfront has made a huge impact on the dynamics of the city centre as well as its regional, national and international appeal. These opportunities and challenges the City Central BID Management Team have risen to by adopting a new sense of collaborative working with much success. Partnerships are stronger than ever. In the past five years City Central BID has led in the opening of a Cop Shop and Shopmobility in St Johns Shopping Centre, a free cruise liner courtesy bus, a city centre retail map, the expansion of Christmas Lights in the BID area, instigating Liverpool s first joint retail Christmas programme, signing up to ACC delegate card which is circulated to all attendees at the ACC, and embracing the #itsliverpool campaign. The list goes on. In an era of drastic government cuts Liverpool City Council faces the unenviable task of balancing a shrinking budget to deliver front-line services that meet the needs of not just the most vulnerable, but the demands of a thriving city which has rediscovered its verve. For City Central BID, public sector cuts have already impacted, and will continue to impact, on services in the BID area. Consequently, the BID Management Team have approached age-old issues such as policing and environmental blight through a collegiate approach to funding with other partners. It was this smarter way of thinking which led to the creation of the UK s first joint funded Cop Shop which has helped make the city centre one of the safest, winning national as well as international awards. Collaborative working has also led to City Central BID becoming Keep Britain Tidy s first private sector-led ambassador. Other challenges in the city centre include the number of vacant retail units. City Central BID Management Team is looking at ways of improving the area by introducing a pop-up shop strategy, which also aims to improve the whole look of the area. Despite these challenges, Liverpool city centre continues to attract huge investment in its infrastructure from both the private sector and the public sector i.e. Central Village, Forever 21 and the redevelopment of Central Station. These three developments alone represent a 200m boost to the heart of City Central BID. Much has been achieved already, but there is an exciting future awaiting us, as long as we all work together in partnership to keep Liverpool city centre at the very top of the performance ladder. The UK retail sector remains in a state of great flux. Famous high street brands such as Woolworths, Peacocks, Ethel Austin, JJB Sports and Clinton Cards have all been victims of the economic downturn. In Liverpool the ownership of Metquarter, St Johns and Cavern Walks have all changed hands in the past 12 months. Consequently, it is now more important than ever that we embrace partnership working. For City Central BID, its partnerships are its greatest strength and the next five years represent a golden opportunity to forge new relationships to further enhance Liverpool city centre s appeal. The creation of the St George s Quarter will have a huge impact on the Lime Street gateway of the city centre. City Central has taken a lead role to ensure the BID voice is heard and ensure a connection with Central Village and how its animation, cleansing and promotional activities can complement and enhance the wider area. Much the same can be said of the role City Central BID plays in the Cavern Quarter and Bold Street Steering Groups. A key City Central partner is the newly-formed Commercial District BID and we will seek to maximise the potential of the huge customer base in this area, which has over 750 businesses and contains an estimated 60,000 workforce, by developing a b2b and b2c strategies between members of both BIDs and their employees. As we forge partnerships, build on opportunities and find new ways of working we must not ignore the immense impact that the internet has brought to the high street. By 2015, it is estimated 65% of the UK adult population will own a mobile phone, while internet shopping will command a 40% share of all retail spend. For City Central BID this represents an opportunity as the introduction of the 4G network and development of mobile app technology are now at the stage where they can be applied and integrated into the conventional real life shopping experience. City Central BID has been asked to take a lead role on implementining a major wi-fi programme for the city centre and we will ensure members are well placed to take full advantage. However, despite the digital revolution in shopping it is increasingly clear from numerous studies that the majority of people still want to make their purchase in a shop so the attractiveness of the high street, i.e. its cleanliness, lighting, ease of access etc, remain fundamental blocks in creating an appeal to consumers. To meet the demands of the consumer and compete with other retail destinations it is vital the City Central BID Management Team works with our members to deliver the key aims outlined in this Business Plan. Making a better city centre is in all our interests. It is a big challenge and one that can only be achieved by working together.

4 6 Vision, Aims and Objectives Vision City Central BID will continue to work in partnership with key partners to improve the environment in the retail and leisure heart of Liverpool city centre by making it a safer and more welcoming place for visitors and businesses to invest, work and play in both day and night. City Central BID will also act as an agent for change to create new opportunities for growth and employment and help sustain the city centre as a major engine of the Liverpool economy. Aims 1. To maintain Liverpool city centre s position as a retail destination of choice and promote Liverpool as a premier European city. 2. To provide a voice for all our members within City Central BID; to ensure that City Central BID is a key part of the strategic, decision-making processes affecting the city centre. 3. To work in partnership to ensure that the retail and leisure offer matches the demands of your customers and that the infrastructure of the city centre makes visitor access and movement as easy as possible. Objectives This City Central BID vision is supported by six over-arching objectives which will be delivered from 1 November 2013 to 31 October 2018: 1. To continue to promote the city centre as one of the premier retail and leisure destinations in the UK. 2. To support the economic strategy for Liverpool by assisting with the implementation and delivery of the 10-year masterplan for the Main Retail Area, outlined in the Strategic Investment Framework (SIF). 3. To develop strategic partnerships that will invest in and support the animation, enhancement and marketing of the retail and leisure environment based on a match-funding strategy. 4. To maintain Liverpool as one of the safest and most attractive cities in Europe. 5. To maximise opportunities for the financial benefit of City Central BID members through a dynamic, seasonal events strategy. 6. To exploit the growth of e-commerce, web technology and social media to the benefit of members, their employees and customers. Recommendations for You said: The City Central BID business plan has been reviewed by businesses to ensure it meets your business needs. Based on consultation and your recommendations, as a minimum, the BID has been asked by you to continue to deliver and develop the following key services: Provision of city centre Cop Shop. Fully paid membership rates for Radio Alert for BID members. Provision of Shopmobility service. Targeted cleansing regime and street hot washing. Organised removal of fly posters and graffiti passing relevant intelligence to enforcement teams relating to the perpetrators. Enhancement of paving repairs i.e. Clayton Square. Major footfall generating PR campaigns supported by high quality events and animation. Provision of free promotional opportunities across all media platforms. Monitoring and reporting on footfall statistics on a monthly basis. Provision of annual Mystery Shop exercise and development of skills through training providers. Maximise business opportunities with members of Liverpool Commercial District BID. We will: Underpin these key services through several action plans to improve current programmes over the next five years. They are set out across four main areas in order of priority, as identified through consultation with our BID businesses: Safety Environment Animation Marketing

5 8 Safety We will ensure that Liverpool city centre continues to be one of the safest city centres in the UK both day and night. Environment We will ensure that by 2018 the public realm environment within City Central BID is befitting of a premier European city. The BID Management Team will: Support the delivery of the Cop Shop in St Johns Shopping Centre. Support the delivery of the Shopmobility service. Support the delivery of the Radio Crime Alert Scheme and promotion of safety initiatives i.e. purse bells and mobile phone tagging. Establish an Alleygate Strategy to protect vulnerable businesses and maintain a safe and clean environment. Maintain support and promotion of the child safe zones initiative with key shopping centres. Support LCC and NHS projects, targeting problem areas such as alcohol-related issues e.g. begging, street drinking, rough sleeping and the city centre wet centre. Support delivery of key City Council services such as Street Nuisance, Environmental Health, Licensing, Trading Standards, Business Continuity, City Centre Management and Safety Advisory Group. Support promotion of Night Time Economy to help maintain Purple Flag status. Enhance ties with Further Education establishments, City Council and Merseyside Police to promote responsible behaviour within the second safest city in the UK. The BID Management Team will: Continue to manage and co-ordinate on-street commercial and promotional activities to maintain a well managed public realm. Establish a flexible, independently-monitored cleansing regime targeted at micro level with city centre stakeholders, plus targeted hot-washing of key night time economy areas. Develop a Visual Enhancement Strategy extending hanging baskets to after dark lighting schemes at key locations St Luke s Church and Cavern Walks. Benchmark against national cleanliness standards and develop our Keep Britain Tidy relationship. Increase litter bin collection frequency. Identify and remove graffiti and fly posters. Introduce a Vacant Unit Strategy i.e. identify vacant hot spots and introduce three months intervention policy, and pro-actively engage with landowners. Seek additional match funding for public realm works in Ranelagh Street / Great Charlotte Street / Clayton Square / Parker Street.

6 10 Animation We will maintain a vibrant, family-friendly atmosphere in the city centre through a dynamic mix of events, with a focus on maximising opportunities for BID members to engage directly with potential customers. Marketing We will capitalise on the unique character of City Central BID and to promote the true differential of the Original Liverpool experience and expose members to new audiences. The BID Management Team will: Deliver a seasonal events strategy that translates to the till i.e. Wedding Fayre, Fashion Shows, Baby Showcase, Live Art Events, Student take-overs etc Deliver high impact seasonal programmes i.e, Christmas, Easter, Summer, with details issued quarterly to businesses and stakeholders. Continue to work with cultural and artistic partners to create eye-catching, bespoke events that incoprorate venues within the BID. Extend use of roaming advertising sites within the BID for our members to create marketing and promotional opportunities - for free. (Daily rate is 1,200 to non-bid members.) Campaign for higher quality threshold and enforcement of street trading and street entertainment within City Central BID area. Develop Promote in Liverpool website to further attract blue-chip companies and events to raise revenue and re-invest in City Central BID events. The BID Management Team will: Continue to collaborate with major city centre stakeholders on creating seasonal impact campaigns to maximize revenue and drive footfall from sub-regional catchment areas. Continue to provide a free shuttle bus service from the disembarkation points of the cruise liner terminal direct into the BID area. Maximise signage potential of existing physical assets at gateways vacant units, building facades, Christmas Light spans, Lime Street Media Wall etc. Create a free mobile app to promote your offers/events and develop b2b platforms with Liverpool Commercial District BID and maximize development of 600k free wi-fi programme in BID area. Continue to provide members with free to use PR platforms on social media and advertising opportunities on traditional media i.e. radio/print. Continue to produce bi-monthly newsletters for members and weekly eshots to your potential customers - for free. Provide free media training / workshops for our members.

7 12 Financial and additional benefits BID Levy raised locally, spent locally The independent City Central BID Board includes private sector business colleagues, property owners and public sector representatives. Over 50% of businesses in the area will receive rebates/cost savings on their BID levy from property owners and/or through the BID paying for Radio Alert membership. 40% of businesses will have a net BID levy cost of under 500 p.a. Liverpool City Council has committed in excess of 1million in voluntary contributions for the next 5 years. All businesses with a rateable value above 10,000 p.a. will pay just 1.2% of their rateable value towards the enhanced services that you want and requested. We will continue to survey you and your customers and visitors to the city, as well as retailers and property owners, to ensure the BID levy collected is spent in the areas you deem the most important. City Central BID provides real benefits to all businesses through: A safe and secure experience. Cleaner, more attractive streets a cleaner trading environment with targeted additional cleaning and hot-washing. Better promotion of quality events radio and press advertising and PR campaigns to increase footfall. The BID Management Team will be based on Lord Street operating an open door policy to members, reporting and dealing with issues ranging from begging to litter to pavement repairs. You will be able to call the team with any problem and we will assist in resolving it, or provide you with accurate contact information. As a member you will be able to book meetings in the BID office boardroom for free. Partnership working to assist in promoting key seasonal retail events e.g. Christmas By Liverpool with key City Central businesses and partners. Training of staff through programmes such as Mystery Shop initiative and retail training, etc. This will all be delivered via core activities of the BID team which, as a minimum, include: Liaising with Liverpool City Council and other partners to ensure delivery of core, baseline services. Reviewing new and improved safety initiatives. Maintaining the cleanliness of the city by monitoring delivery of BID funded activities, such as street hot-washing, working closely with the new city centre cleansing team. Working with all transport infrastructure providers e.g. car parking, rail and bus services and John Lennon Airport to ensure access to and from City Central BID area flows seamlessly. Working with local and national partners to agree a street management policy. Liaising with Merseyside Police, Street Nuisance Team and Street Pastors regarding anti-social behaviour. Working with external agencies to increase footfall and visitor spend e.g. Liverpool ACC, cruise liner terminal, Visit Liverpool etc, to ensure BID area is represented as a destination of choice for all visitors. Providing free promotional platforms on a weekly basis and at key seasonal times. Identifying PR and Marketing opportunities and providing free workshops. Working with partners to identify training opportunities both in sales (based on results from Mystery Shop initiative) and other areas e.g. conflict management and anti-terrorism training. Meeting, greeting and supporting commercial, promotional and charitable events on various sites throughout the city centre. Supporting development and promotion of zones within and around the BID - e.g. Bold Street, Ropewalks, Cavern Walks, Baltic Triangle, St George s Quarter and Hope Street. Supporting businesses through a BID retailers group as a platform to raise critical issues with key decision makers. Future of Liverpool city centre: The developments seen in Liverpool s retail sector, coupled with the many new tourist and leisure attractions and the UNESCO World Heritage status Liverpool now enjoys, gives the city centre a distinct advantage over most of our regional and national counterparts. And more is to come: Forever 21 completion of 25m new UK flagship store on Church Street Summer Central Village 120m new residential, retail and leisure development to complete St Johns Shopping Centre re-development of shopping centre from Summer And by 2016: Upgrade of Lime Street corridor through to Clayton Square. Upgrade of Williamson Square and Whitechapel to meet demands for modern retail accommodation and strengthen links to St George s Quarter. Upgrade of Queen Square Bus Station.

8 14 City Central BID Expediture 2013/14 City Central BID Income 2013/14 Financial Management 13% 26% 14% 22% 25% Environment and Maintenance Safety Marketing Animation 6% 6% 3% 85% BID Levy Commercial Pitch Hire Sponsorship Income Operations Property Owner Contributions A BID levy of 1.2% rateable value will be charged on all hereditaments with a rateable value of 10,000 or more listed in the most recent local Non-Domestic Rating list and which are located within the geographical area of the BID. The BID levy calculation will be based on the rateable value shown on 1 November in each of the five years and applied to that subsequent BID levy year. The BID will commence on 1 November 2013 and run for a term of five years. The BID levy hereditaments will be updated at the start of each BID year only to account for any changes in ratepayer, ratepayer appeals, additions and removals from the list. The BID levy will be billed as a single payment in November of each year and collected by Liverpool Direct Limited, operating on behalf of Liverpool City Council and as an agent for the Liverpool BID Company. Liverpool City Council, through Liverpool Direct Limited, will pass over the BID levy raised net of provisions and the agreed collection costs to the Liverpool BID Company. The Liverpool BID Company will provide quarterly income, expenditure and cash flow updates to the Liverpool BID Company Executive Board and Liverpool City Council. External accountants will oversee the production of annual accounts and will conduct an independent audit of the accounts. Alteration of BID Arrangements: The BID area, the BID levy percentage and the criteria of business eligibility cannot be altered at any stage during the five-year lifetime of the BID without a full Alteration Ballot. This is to protect ratepayers and provide certainty of the BID levy costs. 2013/ / / / /2018 Totals Expenditure: Environment 179, , , , , ,000 and Maintenance Safety 200, , , , ,300 1,016,500 Marketing 112, , , , , ,500 Animation 110, , , , , ,000 Company 213, , , , ,200 1,081,000 Operations Total Expenditure 815, , , , ,000 4,170, / / / / /2018 Totals Income: BID Levy 690, , , , ,000 3,540,000 Commercial 45,000 50,000 50,000 55,000 55, ,000 Pitch Hire* Sponsorship 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50, ,000 Income* Property 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25, ,000 Owner Contributions Total Income 810, , , , ,000 4,170,000 * Additional income will be generated via sponsorship and increased hire of commercial space within City Central BID. All income generated will be invested in an extended PR, Marketing and Events programme.

9 16 Current Services and Baselining Governance and Management An agreement to maintain or improve existing levels of service is a pre-requisite for any BID and guarantees the additionality of any services provided and paid for through the BID levy. Without an agreement outlining the baseline services, businesses will not agree to invest in a BID. Therefore, Baseline / Service Level Agreements have been agreed with the following key partners: Liverpool City Council and partners Merseyside Police Liverpool Chamber of Commerce The Baseline documents have been approved by the Liverpool BID Company Board and are available on the City Central website, They clearly illustrate the significant level of resources and activity already provided. A brief outline of the areas covered is set out below. Liverpool City Council and partners City Centre Coordination, Christmas lights provision, highway maintenance, street cleansing, gully cleansing, fly posting/graffiti removal, street lighting, Winter highway maintenance, trade waste, CCTV monitoring and Street Nuisance teams. Merseyside Police City Centre Neighbourhood Officers and command structure Officer secondment to Business Crime Direct Cop Shop in City Central area CCTV monitoring Liverpool Chamber of Commerce (Business Crime Direct) Operation of Liverpool Crime Alert Radio network Safer Business Award The City Central BID will come under the Liverpool BID Company. The Liverpool BID Company is a notfor-profit company limited by guarantee with the specific principal remit of establishing and delivering Business Improvement District (BID) areas within Liverpool, driven by the business community. The Liverpool BID Company has an Executive Board which is ultimately responsible to the levy payer(s) for ensuring the BID budget is spent as set out in its business plan. City Central BID will establish its own Operating Board and subsequent governance structures in order to control the delivery of the BID programme. The Operating Board will have full delegated authority from the Company Directors to control all activities and the use of budgets related to the BID. Every levy payer will be a member of the Company and will be eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting for the elected positions. City Central Operating Board Liverpool BID Company Structure Elected Positions: Retail (multiples) 5 Retail (independents) 4 Leisure 3 Office 2 Total 14 Permanent Stakeholder Positions: Property owners 6 Liverpool City Council (officer) 1 Liverpool City Council (member) 2 Liverpool Vision 1 Liverpool Chamber 1 Merseyside Police 1 Merseytravel 1 Total 13 The above structure ensures BID businesses have a majority position, that key stakeholders are represented and that the Board has sufficient membership to ensure appropriate attendance levels at each meeting. The Board will meet four times a year with one of the meetings being the Annual General Meeting. City Central BID may also establish key working groups, as appropriate, to deal with specific issues and opportunities.

10 18 CITY CENTRAL BID : In Conclusion VOTE YES FOR: A SAFE city centre including a Cop Shop, alleygate maintenance and a Crime Alert Radio Service so it remains free to your business. A CLEAN city centre your BID levy will be invested in a new cleansing regime, specifically tailored to needs of the locale surrounding your business. A VIBRANT city centre from quality events like Brazilica and Bold Street Festival to Christmas lights, hanging baskets and public art with all street activities managed by the BID team. A well PROMOTED city centre with seasonal PR and marketing campaigns to help drive footfall and FREE promotional opportunities across all media platforms. A BID that SUPPORTS your business through all of the above plus extras such as an annual Mystery Shop programme, identifying training opportunities for your staff and lobbying for later trading hours. 5 BID PLEDGES: We will establish a match funding programme to improve and upgrade the public realm with attention on hot spot areas and help deliver the City Centre Strategic Investment Framework delivery plan We will develop a visual enhancement strategy with new lighting schemes at key locations from St Luke s Church to Cavern Walks. We will introduce a vacant unit strategy developing projects by building on relationships with organisations such as the universities to artists. We will create a FREE mobile app for members to promote events and offers and build on the 4G platform and new city centre wi-fi service connecting to 70,000 people employed in Commercial BID. We will provide free media training / social media workshops for our members. 5 BID FACTS: FACT the BID levy of 1.2% will not be going up. FACT for 90% of our members that translates to less than 40 a week. FACT for half of them it ll be less than 10 a week. FACT despite facing 149m of cuts until 2017, Liverpool City Council supports the BID. FACT a yes vote will trigger a 5m injection in to enhancing and promoting the BID area. City Central It s your BID it s your vote. Don t BID it farewell!

11 For further information please contact City Central BID Management Team 2nd Floor, Lord Street, Liverpool, L2 1TA Tel: