Lancaster to get Business Improvement District

Lancaster businesses have voted in favour of making the city centre a Business Improvement District (BID), with 67% agreeing to the move.

A BID is an area within which companies pay an extra levy on their business rates that then goes towards improvements and public services.

For Lancaster, this means an extra £650,000 will be invested in the city centre, originating from business ratepayers whose property has a rateable value of more than £10,000. They will be subject to an extra 1.5 per cent levy.

Paul Cusimano, of Joseph and Co Menswear in North Road, headed up the Lancaster Unlimited Steering Group.

A new manager will be appointed to liaise with the city's businesses to devise services over and above those already provided by the local authorities – including marketing, promotional activities and tackling empty shops.