COVID AND GENERAL BID ACTIVITIES UPDATE

Good Morning

Definitely light at the end of the tunnel now! With a clear path to relaxing lockdown, rapid vaccine roll out and economic stories in the press about ‘post covid spending spree’ there are genuine reasons to be more optimistic.

Below we report on:

  1. General update on Covid

  2. Council Covid support initiatives

  3. BID activities currently

GENERAL UPDATE ON COVID

A wide range of business support measures have been made available to UK businesses. The link below will help businesses find out how to access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Here you will find up to date information on:

  1. Paying your employees

  2. Paying sick pay

  3. Paying tax

  4. Business rates relief

  5. Support for the self-employed

  6. Support for small and medium-sized businesses

  7. Support for large businesses

  8. Support for businesses affected by coronavirus restrictions

COUNCIL COVID SUPPORT INITIATIVES

The council is responsible for running most of the support initiatives for businesses. Please visit https://www.bristol.gov.uk/business-support-advice/covid-19-information-for-businesses where you will find details regarding:

  • Small business grants and relief support

  • Sector specific support (ie pubs and other hospitality etc)

  • Self-employed

  • Etc

The council have also most usefully set up a specific help desk where you can phone in for an immediate response to your questions. 

BID ACTIVITIES CURRENTLY

Meanwhile with BID income curtailed our activities have similarly been curtailed. However we are working to remind people that there is still very much a Bedminster open for business and enjoyment, particularly during the summer months. Our focus is on outdoor activities in particular that we think will encourage people to come to visit and still feel they may do so safely.

MARKETING AND PROMOTION

Our principle activities have been to find ideas to weave lockdown relaxation steps into the practicalities of shop and hospitality openings. We have called it BS3atHomeGuides and they have been generating a lot of interest via social media.

To mark International Women’s Day the BID supported the completion of the ‘Six Sisters’ Mural on North Street which when completed it is believed will be the world's largest collection of permanent street murals by female artists.

As reported by numerous news outlets including ITV ‘The row of six buildings in North Street Bedminster, already features four individual designs by some of the city's most-loved street artists - this project will complete the 'Six Sisters' Project.

Other BID initiatives include exploring possible billboards or poster sites, walk guides, outdoor activities, outdoor tables and chairs, bollards and planters.

STREET ENHANCEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

There continues to be very substantial property development interest and activity in particular around East Street. Latest major development to be given the green light is stcatherinesbs3.com which has been a major blight on East Street for over a decade. Next up is the NCP car park on Dalby Avenue which will bring a student ‘village’ to the area and diversify the shopper population futher – details of the latest scheme may be found here https://we.tl/t-C0yVGYvUFE. This together with the successful planning applications for the Little Paradise residential development and multi storey car park will have a major favourable impact on business performance. The BID has been very active supporting the process to seek the advancement of many of these schemes for the benefit of East Street.

We are now advanced with our LoveYourHighStreet grant scheme which enables us to entice new businesses into vacant premises or supplement landlord investment to improve the appearance of empty buildings. Eight grants have been offered to a mix of businesses from bakeries to jazz bars and ‘maker’ emporiums. More details to follow.

The East Street Vision and Detailed Masterplan is approaching completion and will be launched in April via a video. The proposals have been warmly received by the council and we are now seeking ways to bring in the necessary investment. The BID raised an additional £60,000 investment from other sources to pay for this project and are now embarking on multi £m public sector grant bids.

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Finally we will continue to invest in street cleansing activities this year in particular in relation to graffitti and pay for the maintenance of street planters on North, East and West Streets.

If you have any ideas that you would like the BID to pursue to enhance business in the town, please let us know. We are looking at ideas for the forthcoming BID Year. We are interested to hear more direct feedback from businesses around ideas you may have for the BID to pursue. If you have a moment and could either email or call us with your thoughts we would be delighted to hear from you. In addition the board meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 5pm and holds marketing meetings on the final Monday each month at 6pm – each may be accessed via videolink (please contact us for details).