BID Leamington will soon begin engaging with local businesses to explore expansion into new sectors and the opportunities this could bring.
As BID Leamington prepares for renewal in 2028, there will once again be an opportunity to explore what collective investment in the town centre can deliver. Over the coming year, a wider range of businesses in the town centre will be invited to share their views and help shape future proposals, so please read on and do not hesitate to get in touch to learn out more.
What BID Leamington delivers and why changes are being explored
Through BID Leamington, the town centre has benefited from the collective annual investment of around 350 retail and leisure businesses since 2008. Many high-profile events, including the Leamington Food and Drink Festival and the Lights of Leamington, have been delivered by BID Leamington. It also funds the town’s bunting, floral baskets and supports the Christmas lights, alongside providing valuable marketing, business representation and support. The BID team is also responsible for attracting significant amounts of additional revenue to invest in the town via grants and funding awards – often exceeding £80,000. This is highlighted across this website and set out in a detailed Business Plan.
Every five years, a Business Improvement District (BID) goes through a renewal process. This includes reviewing what the BID has delivered during the previous five-year term and consulting businesses on proposals for a new five-year Business Plan, which businesses then vote on through a formal ballot.
BID Leamington’s next renewal vote is due in early 2028, so, as part of this process, all aspects of the BID’s existing arrangements and deliverables are reviewed to ensure the scheme remains relevant, effective and fit to serve the business community in the future.
At the same time, the town centre and wider commercial landscape has changed since the current 2023–2028 Business Plan was developed. Major retail and leisure properties have transitioned to office and other commercial uses, while new employment areas are emerging beyond the current BID boundary. Business needs and customer behaviours have also changed.
Given the scale of this change, a more substantial review is needed. It is also recognised that undertaking this work properly, responsibly and in line with BID regulations – while continuing to deliver a high level of service to existing members – requires additional resources.
Recognising the positive impact that BID Leamington makes in the town centre, Warwick District Council (WDC) has agreed to support this work with £50,000 of funding. This will enable BID Leamington to undertake the research, analysis, stakeholder engagement, project testing and planning needed to thoroughly explore what the future looks like over the coming year.
This work will begin imminently and continue throughout 2027. Importantly, the additional funding means this work can be undertaken without diverting the BID’s current resources and capacity away from delivering its existing 2023–2028 Business Plan.
What could this mean for businesses and the town centre?
The opportunity is potentially significant. If supported, a more broadly supported BID could enable greater collective investment in the town centre, support the sustainability of existing BID activities, enhance the trading environment for more businesses and fund more activities which help make the town a lovely place to live and work.
Around 650 businesses in the town centre will be consulted over the coming year. Of these, approximately 350 are existing retail and leisure sector BID member businesses that have been investing in the town since 2008, while approximately 300 mostly office-based businesses are not currently members.
The consultation will provide plenty of opportunities to meet, share ideas and discuss what businesses would like to see in the future. We will also pilot some new projects to involve more local businesses and support their employees, whilst providing mutual benefit to existing members. If the research and consultation demonstrates a case for a broader BID, and businesses subsequently vote to support it, additional investment from wider membership would create opportunities for new or enhanced services.
As part of the research, BID Leamington will also look closely at what is already working elsewhere in the UK. While ‘office’ based businesses are not currently part of the BID levy base in Leamington, their inclusion is typical in many other BIDs. These places are delivering a wide range of valuable projects and initiatives for their business communities. Looking at what works elsewhere will provide an opportunity to learn and consider what could potentially be developed for Leamington.
Potential opportunities could include:
- Enhanced public realm and environmental improvements
- Additional cleaning and maintenance initiatives
- Exclusive offers and incentives for local employees
- Employee engagement and wellbeing initiatives
- More opportunities for business networking and collaboration
- Enhanced destination marketing and promotion
- Business and employee health and wellbeing support
- Other services and initiatives identified by businesses through the consultation
Any funding for these kinds of activities is shared across the membership, and the level will depend on a review of new rateable values, the businesses and properties ultimately included, their needs and aspirations as set out in the final proposals and, crucially, a successful ballot.
The process – exploring the opportunity with thorough research and engagement
The funding from WDC is specifically about resourcing the work needed to understand and test what is possible and what businesses would value. It does not determine or influence the outcome – that will ultimately be decided by businesses themselves.
The first step is detailed research and mapping, including establishing which businesses and properties could potentially be included. This will be followed by engagement with both existing BID businesses and those not currently members, to understand their priorities, needs, ideas and aspirations.
Only once this work is completed can BID Leamington develop properly costed proposals and determine whether there is sufficient appetite for additional collective investment. Any future expansion would require a formal business ballot and could not happen without collective business support.
This deliberately step-by-step approach is designed to ensure that any future proposals are evidence-based, transparent and genuinely shaped by the businesses they would impact.
The purpose of this work is to give businesses the information and opportunity to help shape what comes next.
The next step – please get in touch
As part of this process, BID Leamington will establish a shadow Board involving businesses and stakeholders interested in actively exploring and shaping this exciting opportunity. Additional resources will also be recruited to support the BID team with this important piece of work.
If you would like to learn more, get involved in the shadow Board or simply have a conversation about what the review could mean for your business or how you would like to be involved, we would love to hear from you.
For more information, please contact Steph by email at info@bidleamington.com or please phone 01926 470634.