The council is backing the York BID (Business Improvement District) as it campaigns for a second term.
City of York Council’s executive has voted to support the BID ahead of a ballot to secure its second term working to boost York business.
The BID is a business-led initiative covering York city centre which invests in services, projects and events.
Governed by legislation to ensure fairness and transparency, a BID is created for a five year period if local businesses vote in favour. After a successful first term, York BID is preparing to carry out a ballot of businesses to gain support for a further five years of investment.
Since being established in 2015, the York BID has delivered a series of high impact, highly visible events, programmes and initiatives that have helped to support traders during a prolonged and especially difficult period for local high streets across the country.
They have also had a key role in helping to support businesses and will work to restore confidence in the high street following the debilitating effects of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Working together
To enable several key projects to happen, council investment of £800,000 has added to the business-led funding from York BID.
The BID has delivered projects such as the Street Rangers scheme, Parliament Street works, community clean up, wayfinding and signage improvements, the College Green pop-up space and others.
Leader of the council Cllr Keith Aspden said: “Our partnership with the BID has been central in our ongoing work to support York’s residents, businesses and the local economy throughout the pandemic and more widely over the last five years.
“I would like to thank the dedicated staff and volunteers of York BID for their work since 2016, and more particularly over the past ten months, as our city continues to face this unprecedented challenge.
“This effective partnership will be key as we move towards recovery and rebuilding of our local economy. There are many projects to come in the future, which will further support York’s vibrant local economy and our evolving high streets.”