Following the recent announcement that Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) will be introduced to Northern Ireland, North Down’s Mayor, Councillor John Montgomery, met with the Town Centre Manager to explore the opportunities this could present for Bangor.  Discussion centred on new avenues for regeneration and how to exploit existing strengths, such as the area’s strong horticultural standing, to create distinction. 

The Mayor commented:  “BIDs have proved successful in other parts of the UK and opening the door to them in Northern Ireland is good news.  When operated effectively they can tackle local issues and deliver gains to businesses and the wider community and economy.

“Much change is expected in Bangor in the coming years through the delivery of the Marine Gardens Development and the Department for Social Development’s Town Centre Masterplan but we cannot afford to wait for these big schemes to happen; we need to explore opportunities for regeneration now. 

“I hope that BIDs will enable us to create pockets of distinction in the town and am struck by the suitability of horticultural excellence as one avenue to explore.  Bangor has a long history of success in Britain in Bloom and our recently restored Walled Garden has captured the imagination on many residents and visitors.  Taking inspiration from other successful European towns and cities, I hope we can do something innovative in Bangor and the sooner the better.”   

Business Improvement Districts or BIDs will enable Councils, through their town centre management partnerships and with the agreement of local businesses, to fund and deliver improved services in specific areas, such as town centres.  Businesses will have the ability to vote on the level of services they want to invest in to improve their trading environment.  The sorts of services that can be improved include security, street cleaning and even new Christmas lighting. 

The Town Centre Manager for Bangor and Holywood, Stephen Dunlop, commented: “BIDs provide an excellent opportunity for the private sector to work more closely with the public sector in the regeneration of Bangor and Holywood town centres, alongside the proposed regeneration of Bangor’s seafront and the DSD’s Masterplan for the town. 

“We have been monitoring the success of BIDs in England and Scotland and they have contributed to regenerated town centres with strong marketing and management cohesion.  For some time now a delegation of town centre managers has been meeting ministers at Stormont to lobby for the introduction of BIDs legislation locally.  We know that there is strong cross-party support for this initiative, which will deliver services that are important to local businesses and will make our town centres more competitive, safer, cleaner and pleasurable for everyone.  Critically they will bring private sector strengths into what has traditionally been the public sector’s domain.  Partnership working is the future and we wholeheartedly support that.”

The powers to introduce Business Improvement Districts will require new legislation. This will follow public consultation on the policy proposals by the Department for Social Development in the coming months.

ENDS

For more information contact Claire Jackson on (028) 9127 8052, 07971 953507 or claire.jackson@northdown.gov.uk