Bridgnorth retailers discuss business improvement scheme

The Bridgnorth BID would be the third in Shropshire if it goes ahead

Retailers from a town in Shropshire are in talks over creating a Business Improvement District (BID).

Some businesses in a BID area would be asked to pay a levy for services such as maintenance and marketing.

Sally Themans of Love Bridgnorth, a Facebook group which helps promote the town, said proposals were at "very, very early stages".

"This is purely an exploratory time at the moment," she said.

Similar schemes currently run in Shrewsbury and Oswestry in the county, with dozens more in towns across the UK.

A meeting was attended by Shropshire County Council and "a good array of Shropshire businesses," said Ms Themans.

One of the advantages of the scheme would be "having someone full time and dedicated" to promoting the town, she said.

But she added: "Should we be asking hard-strapped businesses, whether they're large or small, to pay a levy, which is how a BID works?"

Jessica Lewis, of Mike and Sarah's butchers said parking and roads should be a priority in the town

A decision on whether the scheme goes ahead was purely down to the businesses, she explained.

Brian Millington, of Our Green Shop, said it would "clearly be an opportunity for retailers and businesses to sit together and come up with some solutions to how Bridgnorth does business".

Charlie Butler, from Pamper that Pooch, said he had recently counted 15 empty shops in the town.

The BID levy would not affect him due to the rateable value of his shop, he explained, but businesses could voluntarily pay into to the scheme.

"But with the current climate of utility bills, I don't think that's going to get a lot of enthusiasm for voluntary donations," he added.

Jessica Lewis, of Mike and Sarah's butchers, said retailers were already paying business rates and questioned whether they should be asked to pay additional funds towards the BID.

"We need to get our priorities right," she said.

"It's more things like the roads the parking and everything else that needs to be sorted first."