Cheltenham: Late Night Levy Or BID?

At a recent cabinet meeting, Cheltenham Borough Council discussed the merits of the Late Night Levy which had previously been approved the next anniversary date for which is 1 April against the gains which could be achieved by the introduction of a Business Improvement District (BID).  The Leader of the Council and other cabinet members took the view that the BID would have greater benefits overall for the town than the Late Night Levy could potentially achieve going foprward.  Furthermore they made clear that it would be inappropriate to charge businesses twice.

Council cabinet members are hopeful that businesses will vote in favour of the BID which they believe would be “very positive for Cheltenham, the economy of the town is very important and must be promoted, but this is not the Council telling traders what is good for them, it is for the business to decide what is good for themselves and the BID gives them the mechanism to decide that”.  It was also confirmed that “in the BID there will be a significant focus on helping the late night economy, working with the Police and other partners to fund a community van for everyone’s benefit and if we want to encourage more events like comedy, music and the arts in general, working with bars and clubs”.

It is refreshing to see a Council looking to step back from the Late Night Levy option and review what other mechanisms are available to enhance the operation of their town centre.