Capital's heartland set to become Business Improvement District

Firms in and around the central areas of Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square are collectively to be made the second BID, after Kingston in November 2004, after 71 per cent of businesses in the area voted to adopt the scheme.

Based on a concept from the U.S, the scheme enables local authorities to collect a levy from firms in order to improve town centre management on top of provisions from councils.

With contributions starting at below £5 for smaller businesses, the money will go towards improving street cleaning, better marketing as well as counter traffic congestion, with the aim of improving retail turnover in the long term.

Mark Boyes, chairman of the Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “The result shows the excellent support for the BID from our business community who have demonstrated that they see the vital importance of a clean and safe trading environment and want to play an active role in how that environment is managed.”

In total, 201 businesses voted on December 1, with the new BID becoming fully operational on February 14th 2005.

Colin Barrow, Councillor at Westminster City Council, said: “I am so pleased that the Heart of London BID has been successful and congratulate them on being the first BID in London and only the second in the UK to achieve formal status.

“The City Council is looking forward to continuing our service partnership with the BID team to ensure that the centre of London is recognised as a clean and safe environment to visit and carry out business.”

In the next few months there will be votes in three other areas where pilots have already been funded by the London Development Agency, Borough/Bankside, Holborn and Paddington.