£4m programme to turn Liverpool into ‘beacon of business excellence’

The voting process for a five-year plan to reinvigorate Liverpool’s business district is now underway.

The Liverpool BID Company has revealed a £4m strategy to enhance the city’s offer for businesses in a 32-page plan, highlighting 24 key actions across four themes.

The strategy, which hopes to build on the successes of the Commercial District BID’s first five years, includes pledges regarding superfast broadband and free Wi-Fi, a new business services directory, a dedicated police team for the BID and an on-street ambassador service.

The 2016-2021 Commercial District BID Business Plan, unveiled to the city’s business leaders on February 5, kicks off a month-long voting process involving 550 companies.

If the plan receives a majority ‘yes’ vote, its five-year term will begin on June 1.

The chairman of the Commercial District BID, Jim Gill, said: “The Commercial District is the biggest and most important concentration of business activity in Liverpool and the City Region.

“We want to create a Commercial District fit for businesses now and in the future, with enhanced connectivity, a clean, safe, animated environment and the support to help every business thrive.”

He added: “It’s an ambitious plan for an ambitious city and with the backing of our partners and businesses we can make the Commercial District a beacon for business excellence.”

Established in 2011, the Commercial District BID aims to improve Lord Street, Old Hall Street, Water Street, Pall Mall and others - an area in which over 60k people are employed across sectors such as digital, financial, legal, leisure and hospitality.

Bill Addy, Liverpool BID Company’s chief executive, commented: “This business plan is rooted in reflecting the needs of our businesses, identifying opportunities for them to grow and tackling the issues they want addressing in the Commercial District.

“This is Liverpool’s pre-eminent business community and they need a voice, an advocate and a champion to highlight their role and ideas for the city’s economy, especially as the next five years present major challenges not least in the cuts to the public purse and the devolution deal.”

Liverpool’s Mayor, Joe Anderson, has voiced his support for the Commercial District BID and its five-year plan.

He said: “Liverpool city centre needs a vibrant commercial district and the excellent work the BID Company does is vital to achieving this.

“The city needs organisations like the BID to ensure our business community operates with the right support and in the right conditions to compete, develop and thrive.”

He added: “And for those reasons alone, I’d urge all businesses to back the BID.”