Two of Bedford’s independent business owners have launched a public consultation to explore creating a new Business Improvement District (BID), months after businesses voted to scrap the previous organisation.
Tim Edwards and Rosanna Heasman believe the move is vital after a highly critical government inspection of Bedford Borough Council, arguing that local businesses must take charge of the town centre rather than wait for civic leaders to fix ongoing problems.
Bedford previously had a BID, but town-centre businesses voted not to renew it in 2024.
Edwards was among the leading critics of the previous organisation, but he maintains that a redesigned, transparent model could transform the high street.
The initiative also arrives as Bedford prepares for major regional developments, including the proposed Universal theme park and resort alongside East West Rail.
Read: Together we can BID for a better Bedford
Fresh start
A BID allows eligible businesses in a defined zone to vote on collectively funding services above standard council delivery.
These projects can include a year-round calendar of festivals and events, joint marketing and advertising campaigns, footfall initiatives, enhanced safety measures and visual improvements across town streets.
Tim Edwards said: “The inspection report makes deeply uncomfortable reading for anyone who cares about Bedford.
“Whatever our political views, it’s clear that the council faces enormous challenges, and we can’t simply wait for those problems to be resolved before doing something positive for our town.
“Bedford has some brilliant independent businesses and enormous potential, but individually there’s only so much any one business can do to improve footfall or change people’s perceptions of the town centre.
“The question we’re asking is whether we could achieve considerably more by working together.
“I’d love to see a Bedford with a genuinely exciting year-round programme of events, markets, food and drink, music, family activities and other reasons for people to visit and stay longer.
“Universal potentially puts Bedford in front of an audience we’ve never had before.
“We should be thinking now about how our town and its businesses can benefit, while making Bedford a better place for the people who already live and work here.”
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Accountability reset
The independent Best Value Inspection into Bedford Borough Council, published on 15 October, laid bare deep-seated leadership and financial strains across the local authority.
Read: Damning inspection reveals bullying and leadership collapse at Bedford Borough Council
Edwards stressed that any replacement BID must avoid the perceived mistakes, opacity and narrow focus of the abolished organisation.
He added: “I campaigned against the previous BID, but I’ve always believed that a good BID could offer something valuable to Bedford.
“My objections were to how the organisation operated, not the principle of businesses working together.
“A BID shouldn’t just be about reporting graffiti or antisocial behaviour. It should be a proactive, ambitious organisation working to improve our town, attract visitors and support the businesses that make Bedford what it is.
“Any new proposal must be more inclusive, more transparent and genuinely accountable to the businesses funding it, with clear priorities and measurable results.
“This isn’t about bringing back the old BID. It’s about asking whether we can create something substantially better.”
Read: “Time to go,” town centre campaigner says change at the top needed to create a Better BID
Community vision
Co-founder Rosanna Heasman highlighted that the town centre’s long-term vitality relies on directly involving local people alongside traders.
“Independent businesses are an incredibly important part of Bedford, and we all benefit from having a town centre that people are excited to visit.
“This is about seeing whether we can bring businesses together behind some shared priorities and create something that genuinely supports the people trading here and spending money towards goals that will actively make a difference in footfall and town experience.
“We want businesses to tell us what would make a difference to them, but it’s equally important to hear from residents and visitors. Ultimately, a successful town centre has to be somewhere people actually want to spend their time.
“We’ve spent months planning and researching how our town centre could realistically and properly be improved, and given much thought to a long-term vision, which is what our town has considerably lacked in the past few years,” she explained:
The organisers made clear that any future BID would complement statutory services rather than replace the legal responsibilities of Bedford Borough Council or Bedfordshire Police.
Shaping priorities
A public survey is now open to Bedford business owners, town-centre shoppers and visitors to see whether there is enough appetite to draft a formal proposal.
Businesses are being asked about operational pressures, preferred support initiatives and whether they back developing a new BID blueprint.
Shoppers and visitors are being asked about their visiting habits, the issues discouraging them from visiting the high street, and the cultural events that would attract them back into town.
The organisers noted that the exercise is purely exploratory and does not represent a formal BID ballot or levy proposal.
“Bedford has some significant challenges, but also some extraordinary opportunities ahead. The town centre and our local businesses need to be part of that future.
“We’re not presenting people with a finished plan. We’re asking them to help us create one.
“We can continue debating what Bedford has lost and who’s responsible, or we can work together to shape what it might become,” added Edwards.
Local people and traders can complete the consultation online via the Bedford town-centre survey.
Case study: Visit Hitchin
Locally, Hitchin BID – known as Visit Hitchin – is a success story that Bedford would do well to emulate.
Set up in 2009 to improve the town centre’s commercial environment, it has been successfully re-elected four times and is preparing for the next vote in 2029.
Similarly close to London, Hitchin has a mix of thriving independent businesses and chain stores.
Their BID organises a packed calendar of events and has a visible town centre manager and business manager, as well as town rangers.
Visit Hitchin has its own visitor centre that provides information to visitors and sells souvenirs and local produce. They also have a community art gallery.
Speaking to the Bedford Independent, business manager Alice Ide said: “We’re a pretty proactive BID.
“The town square hosts events most weekends throughout the year and every weekend in the summer. For off-the-radar businesses, we put on networking and business events, so that everyone feels the benefit.
“I like to think the BID helps to raise the profile of Hitchin and that we are of benefit to the businesses. We work hard to make a difference.”
