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About Winchester BID:

Winchester Business Improvement District (BID) has been in operation since March 2008 and is delivered through Winchester City Centre Partnership (WCCP), a non-for-proft organisation that has been in operation since 1998.

The BID is funded by 844 businesses within Winchester City Centre paying a 1.5% levy based on their ratable value. Winchester's buisnesses voted in favour to fund another five years of the Business Improvement District, taking it into its second term which started on 1st April 2013. An independent management board of up to 15 non-executive directors manage the company, BID activities and funds.

Winchester BID operates wihin a defined geographical area, where buisness ratepayers have voted to invest collectively in local improvements that are in addition to those that are already delivered by local statutory bodies. Working with partner organisations such as Winchester City Council, Hampshire Constabulary and other public agencies, the BID delivers leadership along with marketing and operational improvements for the buisnesses within the BID area.

The vision for Winchester BID in its second term is to ensure that the city remains:

'A vibrant, exciting and successful buisness community; an attractive, clean and safe destination for customers and clients, shoppers and staff, residents and visitors; a profitable place in which to do business'
 
The BID will make sure that Winchester remains the perfect place in which to shop, work, live and visit. Building on the successes of the past five years, and working with our various partners, Winchester BID will to continue to ensure that our:

• City is attractive, clean and green

• City is safe and secure

• City is marketed and promoted successfully

• Businesses thrive

What we have done so far:

• Footfall on the High Street has increased by 16.6% since January 2010. There are now 7 cameras placed around the city.
• 500 hanging baskets were given to BID members free of charge in 2012, over 500,000 colourful flowers across the City over the past 5 years.
• With 3 BID funded Police Community Support Officers, the City is safer, with an overall crime reduction of 7.2% and shoplifting reduction of 15% in the past 12 months.
• Violent crime has been reduced by 12% in the past 12 months.
• City shops and offices are being filled up speedily because it is an attractive City, with currently 5.1% vacant units compared to the UK average of 14.4%.
• More attendance is evident at City events: in 2010 the Christmas light switch on had over 2,000 visitors, and numbers were increased by 300% over the previous years; the Winchester Bunny Hop, an Easter egg event for families, showed a footfall increase of 187.5% with 1,150 people taking part in 2011.
• The new waste contract now allows Winchester’s businesses to have a zero landfill scheme that is competitive and uses smaller and greener collection lorries.
• The Pride of Place scheme with Winchester Churches Nightshelter has removed over 350 graffiti tags, cleaned untidy areas of the City and removed over 1,000 bits of rubbish from our City streets, in 2010/11.
• £400,000 has been spent over the past four years on promoting Winchester as a place in which to do business. The BID advertises Winchester through local press, local radio stations, online and outdoor advertising, such as billboards.
• Winchester gained Purple Flag status in both 2010 and 2011 for a safe and secure City, accredited through the Association of Town Centre Management.
• All BID members receive a reduction of 20% in Hampshire Chamber of Commerce membership; along with free or reduced rate admission for BID sponsored events.
• The BID has worked to maintain free parking on Sundays along with the BID securing free parking after 4pm during Christmas shopping times, equating to 24 hours a year.
• The new utilities service has saved £31,563 on utilities contracts for businesses in the City during August 2011-July 2012.
• Winchester BID transformed the City at Christmas by putting up 25,000 lights and 30 Christmas trees.

What we will continue to do:

• Reduce crime in the City Centre by continuing to fund 3 Police Community Support Officers and manage safety initiatives such as Shopwatch and Pubwatch.
• Reduce chewing gum and graffiti in the City Centre; providing a clean and green waste and recycling management service.
• Support local businesses through Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and other partners.
• Fund the additional Winchester Christmas Lights and hanging baskets.
• Continue projects such as the retail map and improved signage, support local festivals, business events and the visitor information point.
• Monitor footfall and continue the business barometer to measure business activity.
• Market Winchester as the place in which to shop, work, live and visit.
       

BID RENEWAL VOTE RESULTS

Winchester’s businesses have voted in favour to fund another 5 years of the Business Improvement District (BID).

The postal ballot coordinated by Winchester City Council received the following votes:

DATE: 26/10/2012

RESULT: Yes

TURNOUT: 44%

POSITIVE (by number): 72%

POSITIVE (by RV): 83.5%

BID LIFESPAN: 5 years

NUMBER OF HEREDITAMENTS: 844