Plymouth Waterfront businesses have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a fourth term of the Business Improvement District (BID) with a resounding YES vote for another five years of delivery. This means that at least £6.2 million will now be invested in events, projects and services in the Waterfront, initiatives that the businesses themselves have prioritised.
81 percent of all businesses and organisations within Plymouth’s Waterfront that took part in the month-long postal ballot voted ‘yes’. As well as the yes vote, Waterfront BID4 met the second ballot test of achieving 83 per cent of the total rateable value of all the votes cast.
The ballot results demonstrate that despite the challenging economic climate, the Waterfront BID is providing value for money and is well respected by the area’s business community.
Securing another five-year term will allow the BID to continue to deliver a range of events, projects and services, including contributing toward the city’s marketing, hosting and enabling events to ensure Plymouth remains vibrant and projects to make the area safer, more accessible, cleaner and more attractive as a place to live, work and invest.
The Plymouth Waterfront Partnership set out its vision and fifty actions for the area in a detailed plan released in September, titled BID4: A Place for Life. Following publication, 533 business owners and managers working across Plymouth’s diverse range of Waterfront-based organisations were invited to vote on whether they wanted the BID to continue for a fourth term. At the request of Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, the ballot was commissioned by Plymouth City Council and conducted independently by London-based Civica.
The Waterfront BID has been operating since 2012 when businesses first voted to invest collectively in the scheme. Plymouth Waterfront Partnership operates the BID as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and is overseen by a Board of Directors who are business leaders representing organisations across the Waterfront area, all of whom give their time voluntarily.
Nick Buckland OBE, Chair of the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership said:
‘It’s a fantastic result which again demonstrates that businesses have recognised the immense value of the Waterfront BID and are happy to continue contributing funds to support the Waterfront projects that the businesses identified as part of the consultation process. We want to thank all of those who have supported us and pledged to further contribute their time, funds and expertise towards delivering our vision of Plymouth’s Waterfront as an exceptional place for people to live, work and visit, where an outstanding quality of life is enjoyed by everyone.”
Sarah Gibson, Chief Executive and Plymouth Waterfront Manager said:
“A big thank you to everyone who took time to shape the plan and then vote for the plan, it’s our most ambitious yet and is designed to build on our successes of the past fifteen years. We’ll now work with partners through the winter months to begin preparing to launch delivery of BID4: A Place for Life from April next year, we can’t wait to get started. If businesses outside of the BID area want to get involved in supporting Plymouth’s Waterfront area, reach out to us to find out how via our website: www.waterfrontbid.co.uk.”
The new five-year term will begin on 1st April 2027. The BID will then deliver the projects outlined in the business plan under three integrated themes of Planet, People and Place, through actions under the banners of Celebrating Our Vitality, Moving People Around, Shaping Our Place and Supporting Each Other.
