As Bedford Borough Council prepares to discuss if they should withdraw support for BedfordBID, the organisation set up to help promote Bedford Town Centre businesses, their CEO has said they are open to a “refresh” of governance.
Earlier this month, Cllr Andrea Spice (Conservative/Wixams and Wilstead) the Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Planning and Prosperity announced she would be recommending the council votes “no” in the forthcoming ballot renewal of BedfordBID.
Read: Time running out for BedfordBID as Borough Council withdraws support
In a report to be discussed tonight (Wednesday) at the council’s Executive meeting, Cllr Spice says there is disappointment in BedfordBID’s plan for a fifth term.
The report didn’t pull any punches as it accused BedfordBID of a ‘lack of ambition’ for the town centre and for not doing enough to support independent businesses, with a business plan that offers just ‘more of the same and is not driving the town forward’.
‘The current BID focuses too narrowly in both its geographic breadth and the depth of its involvement with the town’s vital independent business sector,’ says the report.
They’ve also called into question the way BedfordBID is managed, highlighting that the board hasn’t met for almost a year which they say restricts discussions on the direction of the current BID.
The last published BedfordBID Board Meeting minutes were in 2022 and the last meeting date was 16 October 2023.
Local campaigner, Tim Edwards, who has set up the ‘A better BID for Bedford’ campaign has also directed criticism at BedfordBID’s management.
He told the Bedford Independent last week that he believes it’s time for BedfordBID chair, Sam Laycock, who has been in the position for nine years, and their CEO Christina Rowe to step aside.
Read: “Time to go,” town centre campaigner says change at the top needed to create a Better BID
Email to executive
Now, in an email sent to all executive committee members last night, and seen by the Bedford Independent, Christina Rowe, CEO of BedfordBID seems to say she recognises the need to “refresh” their governance.
But, she has defended their record in an attempt to get councillors to reject the recommendations to vote “no”.
‘Councillor Spice has made clear her view that the BID is not serving the needs of Bedford. While that is clearly disappointing for the BID team, we do of course respect the Council’s view,’ she writes.
‘After nearly twenty years of delivery for Bedford we recognise that diligence in respect of Governance (sic) and may benefit from a refresh though we cannot imagine that qualifies as a reason to ‘throw the BID out with the bathwater’.
‘If the BID was to cease, it would result in the loss of over £2m investment into the town over the next five years, with as yet untold and uncalculated impacts. Now is the time to ensure the voice of businesses in our town continues to be heard.’
Cllr Spice and business owners in the town have also accused BedfordBID, which promotes Bedford under its Love Bedford brand, of not doing enough to support smaller, independent businesses.
Many of these are not required to pay the BID levy and so don’t have a vote in the forthcoming ballot, leading some to believe they don’t have a voice in how BedfordBID operates.
Accusations Ms Rowe has rejected.
Addressing councillors, she writes, ‘We also thought you should know that some arguments being made against the BID are groundless and misinformed. We at the BID team are saddened by the suggestion that we neglect ‘smaller, independent businesses’.
‘Week in, week out, we hear their concerns and raise them with statutory agencies. Our consistent and regular campaigns to drive footfall is ‘blind’, we do not differentiate between levy and non-levy payers.’
However, Mr Edwards says he can’t see anything in Ms Rowe’s comments that will make any difference to those who have decided BedfordBID is not worthy of a fifth term.
“I can’t see anything that would change the Council’s mind,” he said.
“It’s heartening to see some acknowledgement that the BID ‘may benefit from a refresh’, but the language used and the lack of any specific actions doesn’t give me any confidence that they understand the need for the changes that businesses are crying out for.
“Unfortunately, on the evidence of this letter and the BID5 plan, I think the Council are making the correct decision to vote no in the upcoming ballot.”
Questions raised
Mr Edwards has also previously argued that BedfordBID doesn’t appear to be spending enough money on promoting the town centre and so believes Ms Rowe’s defence of them providing ‘consistent and regular campaigns’ doesn’t add up.
Speaking to the Bedford Independent last week, Mr Edwards asked questions about why there is over £400,000 sitting in BedfordBID’s bank account at a time when, post-COVID, as much should be done to promote Bedford Town Centre as possible.
“Why are they sitting on cash that should have been used on the services, including marketing, that struggling local businesses think they’re paying for?”
Questions BedfordBID says they are ‘not going to be responding [to] at this time’.
Instead, Ms Rowe’s email focuses on BedfordBID’s work in reducing anti-social behaviour and collectively raising investment in Bedford town centre.
‘We share your [the Council’s executive] vision for revitalising the Town Centre and are pleased that our proposals included in the plan for BID5, incorporated feedback from the Council after our draft submission,’ continues Ms Rowe in her email.
‘We can play our part in the revitalisation – and have always been clear that we will – but acknowledge that we cannot deliver it alone.
‘Together, we unlock over £300k of investment into the town each year to be spent on business-led initiatives from a business community where larger businesses support the increasing number of non-levy paying independent businesses and entrepreneurs.
‘There is no similar model or likely to be in the near future.’
‘While the rise anti-social (sic) behaviour has been challenging, we were delighted when, on 5 August the Mayor committed to lead with partners on finding a solution – we will play our part, but cannot deliver this alone.
‘We’ve also been working closely with the Police on shoplifting and other initiatives; while they’re extremely stretched, we’re proud of our security teams who have been working tirelessly for safer streets.
‘The challenge continues and the BID team will not rest until our communities feel safe.’
‘We believe continuing a partnership approach is the best way to tackling issues to support businesses and strengthen our appeal as a Town Centre.
‘Our website received a quarter of a million views in the last ten months alone – helping to drive footfall, our Retail Radio Link has been described as ‘fundamental’ to safety and security and our weekly Defibrillator check – potentially lifesaving.
‘While the Council and others may seek to replicate some of these services over time, the decision to vote to dissemble an effective partnership would be a great shame.’
“Grasping for headlines”
BIDs were set up to take on services that councils were not traditionally responsible for, and designed to create a network that would give businesses a voice in how their town centre should be managed and promoted.
Every five years levy payers vote on their renewal if they feel they are worthwhile and doing a good job. Businesses in their ‘zone’ who do not have to pay a levy because they are under the rateable value threshold do not get a vote.
So far, BedfordBID has been in place for four terms, but a low turnout during their previous renewal ballots suggests that those businesses with the most votes, due to the number of properties they own, have held all the cards.
Now with the council potentially saying “no” to a renewal, things could change. While the council’s 29 “no” votes wouldn’t create a definitive result, it could be influencing others to vote the same.
That worries the leader of Bedford Liberal Democrats cllr Henry Vann (De Parys), who has waded into the debate and says the announcement of a possible renewal “no” vote from the council could have a detrimental impact on the town centre.
“I am deeply concerned at the potential impact of this on business confidence in the Town Centre. There is now a clear indication that important relationships have broken down.
“The Mayor must indicate how the council is going to replace the safety measures lost through this decision, and the Conservatives must up their game immediately and be more ambitious for the town centre.
“A couple of crossings and finishing off projects begun by our administration simply isn’t good enough. The Tories are grasping for headlines without any real action, direction or sense of urgency”.
However, at every turn, cllr Spice says she’s not running a ‘no campaign’ and it’s for every eligible business to vote whichever way they feel is right.
When announcing her proposed recommendation, she said: “However you feel about the proposed BID5, whether in support or not, you must use your vote as your voice.
“I have spent over a year as Portfolio Holder listening to many business owners and to those who live in or visit the town.
“In the last BID election for Bedford only 175 businesses voted out of approximately 400 and we want to see more businesses having their say.
“Businesses within the BID zone and with a minimum business rateable value need to make a financial commitment to the BID for four years and so must be confident that it will provide what they wish in their town.”
Mr Edwards also goes as far to say that Bedford Town Centre could find better alternatives in a post-BedfordBID world.
“Contrary to the view presented here [by BedfordBID], I believe that there is an opportunity, with the support of the Council, to deliver a similar model in the near future that puts transparency and needs of the businesses at the forefront of what it does.”
Bedford businesses eligible for a vote in the BedfordBID renewal will be sent their postal ballot papers by 18 September, with the count taking place on 17 October.
