Plans for Old Town BID progress as dirty streets and anti-social behaviour emerge as key concerns
The co-chair of the campaign said she was “encouraged” by the level of support from businesses in the Old Town
Proposals to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) for Edinburgh's Old Town have secured enough support from businesses to progress to the next stage, the campaign’s steering group has said.
They said 59 per cent of the 98 businesses surveyed in a recent consultation supported the formation of a BID, which they said would provide businesses with a collective voice to shape decisions and improvements in the area.
They said the consultation, which closes at the end of the month, has highlighted cleaner streets, tackling anti-social behaviour and a stronger voice for business as key priorities for businesses in the Old Town.
Kat Brogan, co-chair of the Edinburgh Old Town BID Steering Group, said: "This is a really encouraging milestone for the Old Town, and I would like to thank all the businesses who have taken the time to share their views with us.
"The feedback so far has given us a much clearer understanding of the challenges businesses face and where they would like to see improvements.
“Reaching this milestone means we can now progress to develop the detail of what a future BID could look like.
"The Old Town is home to a diverse business community, and we want to make sure that the proposals reflect the needs of businesses across the area.
“There is still important work to do, and we encourage businesses to continue engaging with the project as we shape the next stage."
After the consultation closes, the group will review the findings and consider the proposed BID area, levy arrangements and priorities for the area.
A ‘next steps’ document will be published in November, setting out the proposed arrangements and the direction of the project ahead of the development of the full BID proposal and business plan.
All eligible businesses within the proposed BID area will have the opportunity to vote on the final proposals in a formal ballot scheduled to take place in spring next year.