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Kirkcaldy BID Vote Begins
The document sets out exactly what the BID intends to achieve and how it will be delivered in the specified timeframe. It focuses on the key themes of “Area Promotion”, “Clean & Attractive” and “Safe & Welcoming” while also exploring ways to help businesses cut their costs. The investment fund created by the BID levy will amount to £144,000 but the value of the budget was bolstered through funding from other sources such as Fife Council to the value of £160,000. Overall, the BID budget would be over £300,000 per annum which is substantially more then the current £90,000 budget of the Kirkcaldy Town Centre Management Company. As the potential successor body to the KTCM company, the BID offers a higher level of resources to undertake the work programme. Dom Panetta, Chair of the BID Advisory Board, stated, “Ultimately, we want businesses to prosper within the town centre while also maintaining a “safe, clean and welcoming” town centre for our employees and the people who choose to visit us. I believe the Business Plan will help achieve these objectives and I would urge the businesses to be positive and give it the stamp of approval. As I have said before and I repeat again, the purchase power of the BID fund is greater than each individual's contribution. What I find interesting is that BIDs achieve 99% success rate when there is a ballot renewal and so we need to get the BID started here and demonstrate how well it works.”
“We have stressed that businesses need to make an informed decision and to that end we have also produced a short DVD which will be given to all businesses to view explaining the process and benefits. Between the DVD and Business Plan, there is plenty of information to make that informed decision. However, Linda McIntosh the BID Coordinator and I will also be meeting businesses to clarify any issues before they make the decision. The DVD is also available for people to view on the town centre management website ( www.kirkcaldytowncentre.co.uk ) as is the Business Plan. Potentially, this is an exciting time for Kirkcaldy Town centre as the BID gives all the businesses the opportunity to have more of a say in developments in the town centre. I hope we achieve a resounding “YES” vote” |
The team behind the Kirkcaldy Business Improvement District (BID) proposals unveiled their 5 year Business Plan this week as the voting period for business begins on Thursday 21 st January 2010. The Kirkcaldy BID Advisory Board, chaired by local businessman, Dom Panetta, revealed the Business Plan aims to targets the priorities identified by Kirkcaldy Town Centre's businesses over a period of a year through a number of consultations.
The BID process and key objectives were explained at an open meeting last Thursday (14 th January 2010) attended by almost 40 people and the general reaction was positive. The guest speaker, Falkirk businessman George Linton Smith, gave a business perspective on the value of the Falkirk BID which began in June 2008. Sunil Varu, Kirkcaldy Town Centre Manager, also gave an overview of the BID process and the benefits, stated,
