Haywards Heath businesses consulted on new scheme to support the town centre
Haywards Heath businesses consulted on new scheme to support the town centre
Mid Sussex District Council has commissioned specialist advisors Heartflood to investigate the feasibility of creating a Business Improvement District (BID) in Haywards Heath town centre.
A BID is a defined area in which local businesses vote on whether to invest together to improve their trading environment. There are over 300 BIDs in the UK, most of which are located within town and city centres.
A fundamental principle of any BID is local businesses deciding which initiatives will improve their trading environment. These could include: safety & security, marketing, events, public realm improvements, business support or any other improvements which are in addition to services provided by the local authority and are considered important to the business community.
The feasibility exercise will seek the views of as many business owners and managers as possible to gain their thoughts on the principle of a BID and priority improvements which could be enacted to boost footfall and increase vitality within the town.
Councillor Stephen Hillier, Mid Sussex Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said:
“Our vision is to make Mid Sussex a vibrant and attractive place for businesses to grow and succeed. We’re always looking for new ways to make our economy stronger and that’s why we’re asking local businesses in Haywards Heath what they think about setting up a Business Improvement District in the town.
“Business Improvement Districts can be a powerful tool, helping local authorities and the business community to work together to improve the local trading environment. They can raise the town’s profile through marketing and events and help to improve the trading environment in order to increase footfall and spending in the town centre. We’re interested to know what local businesses think of the idea so please make sure you have your say as part of this survey.”
The current proposals are for the study to be completed by July, which should provide a clear indication of whether or not a BID proposal could be pursued, and all businesses are urged to complete the business survey via www.surveymonkey.com/r/HHBID