A study, backed by the Welsh Government and Monmouthshire County Council, is asking businesses in Abergavenny if they will support setting up a Business Improvement District (BID) in their area.
A Business Improvement District is an arrangement whereby businesses get together, decide what additional improvements they want to make in their town, how they are going to manage and deliver those improvements and what it will subsequently cost them.
Once this has been established, a business plan is drawn up and businesses within that area take part in a yes/no vote to decide whether or not they support the BID. The BID can last for a maximum of 5 years and must be able to demonstrate how it has benefited businesses who have funded it.
The Abergavenny Business Club (ABC), together with the Civic Society and Monmouthshire County Council, was instrumental in initiating the proposal for the Business Improvement District. There are already 240 BIDs operating across the UK and the Abergavenny study is being led by The Mosaic Partnership, which has the experience of setting up over 60 BIDs in the UK. The study began in April and will take around 12 months to complete and is likely to conclude with a ballot of businesses.
The Welsh Government grant that has been awarded to enable the feasibility study of the Business Improvement District marks another success for the Abergavenny Business Club, which was set up in March 2013, and demonstrates the club’s intrinsic value and important role within the town.
In its first year, ABC has been very active – increasing its membership, holding regular evening meetings with guest speakers as well as hosting a series of breakfast meetings and other social events. ABC is involved in a number of ongoing projects, specifically working in consultation with the Council in the recent review of car parking and requesting a ‘free after three’ initiative as well as informing businesses and responding to proposals to charge for A Boards and pavement seating. Alongside this there has been the promotion of late night shopping at Christmas and a project to ‘paint the town’ to upgrade its appearance. There are many projects in the pipeline with which ABC is excited to be involved during the coming year.
ABC members and visitors attended a meeting to discuss the proposed Abergavenny BID
Membership of ABC is a fabulous way for member businesses to meet and support one another in the Abergavenny area. ABC wants to give Abergavenny’s businesses a real voice and to work in collaboration with other town groups and the Local Authority to ensure the issues that face businesses are represented.
Not only does ABC promote a community spirit and the exchange of ideas and information, it also represents invaluable networking opportunities. By joining the Abergavenny Business Club, your business can be represented within a respected, non-political group.
Abergavenny is a town brimming with people who want to see it succeed, and ABC intends to continue contributing to projects at the heart of the local community. If you are a local business who has not yet joined ABC, consider doing so today. Collectively we can work together to improve our businesses and our town as a whole. For more information on Abergavenny Business Club or the BID contact info@aberbusiness.org
