Preston BID gets the nod for third term

Businesses voted by a massive 78.4 per cent (individual vote) for the organisation that has succeeded in delivering improvements to the city centre to continue for a further five years.

Over that period the BID is expected to generate a fund of over £2.5m, which will be spent on activities and initiatives in the city centre.

Babs Murphy, the Chief Executive of the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This result sends out a very clear message to businesses and investors that things are now starting to happen in our city.

“This five year term represents a very real opportunity for businesses in Preston to invest together, to work together, and to influence together to deliver improvements that make a difference to the city centre.”

Approximately 800 businesses in the city centre contribute one per cent of their ratable value to the BID fund annually.

The BID is responsible for staging popular city centre events such as the Christmas Lights Switch On, The Lancashire Markets, The Hangout and Prestfest.

Chairman of the Business Improvement District Committee, John Boydell, said: “We are very pleased to have received support from the businesses we represent which will see the BID continue until at least 2022.

“We have achieved much since the project first began, but we are acutely aware that there is still a lot to do,” he added.