The Poole BID

What is the bid area being proposed?

The BID area encompass all businesses within the area highlighted in the map below and includes High Street North, Kingland Road, Dolphin Shopping Centre, High Street, Pitwines retail area, North Street, Dear Hay Lane, Lagland Street, Market Close, New Orchard, Old Orchard, Market Street, Lower High Street and Old Town and Poole Quay.

The area has been divided into 6 areas, and each area has a representative from the Board of Directors to contact for all comments and queries. The representatives are:

Area 1 – Pete Wilson: Lighthouse
Area 2 – Andrew Goss: Bruce Lance & Co Solicitors
Area 3 – Vacant position
Area 4 – Michelle Woodrough: Cashino
Area 5 – Helen Challis: Quay Holidays / Quay Living
Area 6 – Joanne Bateman Quayside Emporium

Alternatively you can contact the sector representatives:
Multiple retail – Vacant position
Multiple retail – Vacant position
Independent retail – Vacant position
Independent retail – Philip Barnes: Purbeck Pottery
Non licensed – Gabi Naish: Project Climbing Centre – The Lookout Cafe
Licensed – Vacant position
Professional Services – Jonathan Sibbett: Sibbett Gregory
Professional Services – John Grinnell: Dolphin Shopping Centre
Borough of Poole – Cllr Mohan Iyengar
Borough of Poole – Cllr Andy Garner-Watts

Please email info@poolebid.com or call 01202 308800 in the first instance

Please click the map to enlarge.

How will the extra services be funded?

Poole Bid Facts & FAQs

Poole BID FAQs

WHAT IS A BID?
A Business improvement District is a way for businesses in a defined area to decide what they need to help their business to thrive. A Business Plan has been written that includes these suggestions and you have had the chance to vote for the plan. There was a majority in favour for the plan to go ahead.

WHO IS BEHIND THIS SCHEME?
The BID process was led by the Poole Town Centre Management Board. It was chaired by Jonathan Sibbett from Sibbett Gregory Commercial Property Agents and supported by the Town Centre Management Office. Control has now been passed over to Poole BID Ltd, a dedicated and completely separate company run by the businesses within the BID area. Contact can be made via carlie@poolebid.com

HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?
5 years from July 2016.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER 5 YEARS?
If the BID has been successful there will be an opportunity to vote for a renewal of the BID that may contain the same elements or a completely different Business Plan to reflect new priorities at the time.

DO BIDS EXIST ELSEWHERE IN THE UK?
BIDs are a national success story with over 200 BID schemes in the UK. Evidence has shown that they work with nearly every second term ballot resulting in higher numbers of businesses voting ‘YES’. They have led to increased footfall, reduced overheads, safer and more vibrant towns and cities with higher spending levels. Bournemouth (2 BIDS), Wimborne, Ferndown Dorchester and Weymouth are local towns with BIDS. Kingston upon Thames, Reading, Bristol, Paddington, Lincoln, Winchester, Worcester New West End and Heart of London have all had second term ballots approved by businesses. Plymouth is going to ballot for a 3rd term in 2015.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WORKS?
Over 290 BID schemes have gone to ballot, the majority have voted in favour and the positive benefits are very obvious. Businesses in those areas have the chance to influence how their towns are managed and to make the changes necessary to survive. Of all the BIDS that have gone to ballot for a 2nd term +90% have been approved for a 2nd term by an increased majority.

WHO PAYS AND WHO COLLECTS THE MONEY?
The BID levy is charged to occupants of business premises with a rateable value of £5,000 or more and will be collected by the Borough of Poole, and then placed into a ring-fenced account (a BID Revenue Account) and passed on to the BID Company.

ISN’T THIS WHAT I PAY MY BUSINESS RATES FOR?
No. Business Rates are a national tax that is collected by Local Councils on behalf of central government and then redistributed according to a national formula. The Council’s income from this redistribution is spent throughout the area on statutory and discretionary services for residents and businesses. Businesses have very little say in the way the funds are spent. The great thing about a BID is that the projects it undertakes have been agreed by businesses, through a series of consultations. The money is kept locally, and spent locally, for the benefit of the local area. The BID levy is nothing to do with business rates. It is based on a levy on the rateable value of the business unit and the funds are invested within the BID area. The funds collected through the BID levy will be kept in a separate BID bank account held by the BID Company but separate from non-BID money. The income from the levy and from voluntary or commercial contributions will be used to fund local activities and services, as decided by the businesses.

WHAT SORT OF THINGS CAN BE INCLUDED?
That will be for you as businesses to decide. But in other places it includes better marketing, improved security, better signs and directions, better cleaning, taxi marshals, cost saving initiatives, promotions and events tailored to attract shoppers and visitors to the area.

SHOULDN’T THE COUNCIL PAY FOR ALL THAT?
The council will still be legally obliged to provide all the services that it does now and bring in any improvements they have scheduled. Anything done through the BID will be additional to what you get for Business Rates. Budgets for local councils have been cut dramatically and there will be no additional money to improve or support new ideas.

AREN’T BIDS JUST A WAY FOR COUNCILS TO SAVE MONEY?
Absolutely not. A BID scheme supports additional projects and services, provides new activity and does not replace statutory activities or services carried out by the City Council, County Council, Police and other public agencies. The BID Company has Baseline Agreements with the Council to ensure that businesses are not short-changed in the future and to avoid any duplication of services. The Council has pledged its support for the BID and will contribute financially to it because they have commercial properties in the BID area and will have levies placed on them. Businesses will continue to benefit from the services which the Councils and Police provide for the benefit of businesses and public such as cleaning, lighting, access and safety.

WHAT WILL IT COST?
It will cost a very small % of your rateable value in the case of Poole BID 1.5%. This is equivalent in many cases of just pennies per week or a book of stamps or a small ad in the local press. All this money is ring -fenced to deliver the business plan it is also used to encourage more funding to match it so the pot of money grows. Only business in Poole with a rateable value in excess of £5,000 will be included in the scheme.

WHY ARE BUSINESSES WITH A RATEABLE VALUE OF UNDER £5000 EXCEMPT?
The cost of collecting the levy from smaller businesses outweighs the income generated from them. It also means that the number of businesses is reduced, meaning that we can communicate with eligible businesses more effectively. Businesses under the threshold do not get a vote. Exempt businesses can however opt in to make voluntary contributions of no less than 1% of their rateable value.

WHAT IS THE BID AREA?
A map showing the BID area can be viewed HERE.

WHICH STREETS ARE WITHIN THE BID AREA?
The Poole BID area contains over 500 business addresses on the following streets: High Street, Dolphin Centre, Poole Quay, Falkland Square, Kingland Crescent, Kingland Road, Vanguard Road, Pitwines Close, North Street, Chapel Lane, Lagland Street, Dear Hay Lane, Hill Street, Market Close, New Orchard, Old Orchard, Market Street, New Street, Castle Street, Strand Street, Cinnamon Lane, Thames Street, Sarum Street, Globe Lane

WHO GOT TO VOTE?
Every business in the area with a rateable value above £5,000 had one vote regardless of the size of the premises.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DIDN’T VOTE… DO I STILL HAVE TO PAY?
Like any democratic process the majority of the businesses that voted decided that they wanted this scheme to go ahead and all the eligible voters will have to pay regardless of how or if they voted.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THE BID WILL DELIVER WHAT IT SAYS?
The BID Business plan is a legal document. Every year the BID Company is legally obliged to publish an audit of its delivery against the targets in the BID plan, all voters will have a right to see that audit and hold the company to account.

IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME TO BE DEVELOPING A BID?
Actually this is a great time to develop a BID. The High Street and public purse is under pressure to change like never before. The increased use of online retail and mobile comparison apps means that businesses need to work together to counter the threats and maximise the benefits of driving down overheads such as insurance and utility costs. A BID also makes your money go that much further with larger marketing budgets which can reach out and promote your business to more people both locally and further afield. BIDs offer great opportunities for economies of scale and BIDs provide much greater value for money than you have at present.

CAN YOU GUARANTEE THAT MY MONEY WILL BE SPENT LOCALLY?
The money does not go to the Government or the Council. Funds will be held by the BID Company made up of business representatives; these funds are only for the projects agreed and voted for by the participating businesses in line with this proposal. Each year you will be able to see a fully audited report and set of accounts that will set out clearly how the BID fund has been spent in the previous year.

WHAT HAPPENED?
An extensive consultation period took place to communicate will all businesses in the area. Ideas, suggestions and priorities for taking Poole forward were suggested and the detailed business plan was produced and published following this consultation. You then had the opportunity to formally vote for (or against) during the formal ballot process which took place in April 2016. The ballot returned a positive result and the BID Company has been formed. The official start of Poole BID is 18th July 2016.

Key Downloads

Baseline Agreement Documents