Harrow Council backs Business Improvement District plans for town centre

1:13pm Monday 17th November 2008

By Jack Royston

PLANS for a raft of measures aimed at helping the town centre survive economic downturn were backed by Harrow Council last week.

Traders want to turn the area into a Business Improvement District (BID), which will mean a massive marketing campaign funded jointly by hundreds of shops.

The council, which will have a seat on the board of an organisation set up to run the BID, looked at the proposals on Thursday, November 13.

The scheme could see a yearly budget of around £232,000, which is likely to be spent on themed markets, discount offers and a manager dedicated to tackling town centre issues.

Steve Kent, manager of St George's Centre, in St Ann's Road, said: “Looking at the current climate and the last few years, the competition for retail sales is particularly competitive.

“Harrow is holding its own but that doesn't mean it's going to in the future. Something like a BID is very important to maintain and improve its market position.”

The council used to have a town centre manager, who Mr Kent said helped shops deal with problems and put them in touch with the right officers working for the authority.

He hopes the new BID manager will fill a similar role and help co-ordinate efforts to make the town centre a more attractive destination for Harrow residents and people from further afield.

He said: “There are so many things and there's so much potential to add to the town centre but it involves so much organisation and so much time and we just don't have that at the moment.

The project is still in its early stages but there are already numerous ideas on the table, including special charge cards and discounts for people who work in the town centre.

The intention is to make the area a nicer place to be, not just for visitors and customers but for workers as well.

There are also plans to strike deals with buskers to allow performances for a nominal fee, bringing music and other entertainment to the area.

The pacts will allow the people who run the BID to ensure noise levels are controlled.

The BID's budget will come from a levy added to a business tax already paid by town centre shops.

All companies currently pay the uniform business rate, but only those in St Anns and St Georges shopping centres, Station Road, College Road, Clarendon Road, Kymberley Road, Havelock Place and a small part of Headstone Road will be asked to pay the levy.

Mr Kent said the sum would be likely to come to around £300 a year for an average shop.

While the council is backing the scheme it will be driven by businesses and they will decide how to spend the cash.