Business owners join forces to promote Carlisle

A group of business owners are campaigning to launch a Business Improvement District for Carlisle

A group of business owners are spearheading a plan to bring together more than 300 local businesses to promote a Cathedral city and boost its economy.

The Great Border City group is backing plans for a Business Improvement District (BID) in Carlisle.

The group says Carlisle's BID - which must be voted and paid for by local businesses - will operate as "a collective voice" for business owners in Carlisle, holding city-wide events to draw in both residents and tourists, and ultimately, investment and publicity for Carlisle.

Kevin Beaty, the steering group's co-director, said marketing the city would help attract "people to come and live and work here" and make it a "better place".

"We get the feeling everyone loves Carlisle, but it just feels a little bit like it isn't punching above its weight at the moment," he said.

"It may be that just a little snick of something could make it a much better place to live and work."

Kevin Beaty believes the benefits of a BID will outweigh the cost of fees to its members

Mr Beaty said he had spoken to about 300 local businesses and most were supportive of setting up a BID, including Carlisle United's chairman Tom Piatak.

"As we're investing in the football club, it's important to invest in the city and the community as well," said Mr Piatak.

"The time is right to invest in Carlisle.

"Let's not waste this opportunity to make this city grow."

Simon Harrison, owner of the Halston Hotel, said he supported the BID because businesses needed an organisation to represent the whole of Carlisle.

"We have a World Heritage site, we have a cathedral, we have a castle, we've got an amazing museum, we've got a growing population and we've got the university moving into the city centre," he said.

"But after all this money [is] spent, you need a vehicle, you need an entity that all the businesses can trust - to animate the city, to put on events and to be a collective voice of the city."

The Carlisle BID also intends to hire its own grant application writer, who will work with small businesses to help them access funding.

Hundreds of BIDs operate around the country, including in neighbouring urban centres such as Penrith, Newcastle and Sunderland - but they can only be set up if voted for by local firms.

If approved, companies with a business rate of at least £15,000 will be charged 1.5% of their rate to fund the BID.

"Any extra cost is bad isn't it?" said Mr Beaty, "but we've set this across Carlisle as one of the lowest rate rates for a levy."

Mr Beaty argued the fee would be worthwhile because of the benefits BIDs can bring to an area.

"We've looked at Sunderland, we've looked at Newcastle - and the benefits they bring back to businesses are more than the money they spend," he said.