This evening, at the Crown and Thistle in Abingdon, the team behind the Abingdon BID (Business Improvement District) outlined their proposals to representatives from businesses in the town centre.
Ballet papers go out in the first week of October, and the result will be declared on October 29th. There needs to be both a majority of businesses, and also a majority of businesses by rateable value, for the BID to go ahead for five years.
There were also presentations from the Wellingborough BID, Lancaster BID, and Newbury BID telling people what their BIDs had achieved in their areas.
An overview of projects to be funded by the £800K from the BID levy – paid for by businesses in the Abingdon town centre area, over the next five years, would include:
- Marketing, promotion and PR
- High-quality events to boost trade
- Improvements to the town centre environment with parking and cycling initiatives
- Business support and lobbying on behalf of businesses
Full details are to be found at abingdon.bid
… Were there any representations from bodies that rejected a BID, for balance?
And why are they asking the businesses what they want to improve things?
Ah that’s a simple one to answer, it’s all about positive voting, a biz owner owner who’s not interested in this ( and if he were on St. Helens wharf or Audlet drive, why would he?) won’t attend the meeting nor bother to vote, which is exactly what the bid team want as the result is based on the actual votes cast, ie, if only 40 of the 300 vote and once 30 of those vote for it then those 30 will win the day, in other words not bothering to vote is as good as voting for it ! That’s why it’s vital biz vote!
That said there can be some mileage in a BID, if the protagonist have vision,? Sadly though judging by the dissapointing performance of Chaps and co I fear this will prove another damp squid? For instance, it’s been written they want to pay for digital car parking signs on the outskirts of town? Imaging then a digi sign by the proposed new free park & ride to Oxford at lodge hill telling Abingdon car parks are full, so you Jim on the free p& r to Oxford ? Shooting in the foot? The area is too big to, reduce it to the area that might benefit, not one just to collect revenue
Who said the ‘proposed’ Lodge Hill P&R will be free?.
The plan is to close all the main Oxford town sites. (Redbridge/Peartree currently Oxford City Council,), then build these satelllite sites for Park and Ride…
It is not worth my while to drive to Lodge Hill from Radley Road to park, commute to work in Oxford. Would be great if it was, highly doubt it. At the moment £2 to park, £2.70 return on the bus Redbridge…
This was all about “positivity”, those that are not interested where probably told something like ” oh ok then, you don’t have to come”. Any one who questions the ethics of this bid (not talking about bid’s in general) is shouted down & made to feel like an individual.
Let’s look at the points to THIS bid. 1, Free WiFi in the Town Centre. Well, Bury Street already has this and I’m sure that this will attract thousands of people to the town so that they can like a picture on Facebook!
2, Marketing & PR, Don’t the Vale have an economic development team to do this?
3, Bigger events. I can count about 26 regular large events in the Town. Science Festival, Cycle Festival, Craft Fair, Local Markets, Fun In the Parks, Extravaganza to name but a few.
4, Business support & lobbying, Isn’t that what we have a Chamber of Commerce for?
To quote a famous line “All businesses are created equal, but some are more equal than others”
Why do Waitrose get their fee “capped”? The answer – bribery. A business like Waitrose could easily afford 1.75% of their rates, but they don’t want to pay it & rightly so have demanded a reduction. This should then be reflected down to all levels & reduce the levy to say 0.2%.
If your business was due to pay £4990 per year, but then saw that Waitrose, a business 3 times the size of yours was paying only £10 more, how would you feel?
Let’s now move on to the councils, how many councillors mentioned the bid during campaigning for the local elections in May? NONE, why, because they don’t want you to know how much it is going to cost you the tax payer. The councils (Town, District & County) currently own about 30 properties which they pay business rates. All of these will be subject to charge. Where do they get this money from? Council tax payers.
Everyone should contact their councillors & ask them why they kept it quite.
Next question, HOW MUCH HAS THIS COST SO FAR? Where does this money come from? What better use could it have?
P.S Apologies to Waitrose, I do see the business sense in why you have done & applaud you for doing so.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came along to last night’s launch of the Abingdon BID business plan. What a great event it was and special thanks to the keynote speakers for their time and effort; special thanks to Liz who travelled all the way from the Lancaster BID area to support us, thank you.
The key message I personally took from the launch of the Abingdon BID was the passion that still exists in our town and we can use that passion to help make Abingdon the successful town it deserves to be.
Businesses in the BID area should have received their copy of the business plan by now, if not then please contact info@abingdon.bid and we will get a copy to you. Don’t worry if you were unable to make last night’s event, we will be holding drop in sessions and the team will try to visit everyone in the coming weeks. If you would like to offer your support then please do contact me or anyone on the team.
If you missed the launch or you want to relive it, you will be able to watch the video of the event, hopefully by the end of next week – further information on this and the BID can be found on our web site http://www.abingdon.bid.
In my humble opinion doing nothing is unacceptable – Abingdon: Achieving success – Remember there is no plan ‘B’
Thank you for your continued support
Mike Hurley
Chairman Abingdon BID team.
I agree with the high quality events to boost trade but what parking improvements can be made? The Upper Reaches (as far as we know) is going to be converted into flats and other housing developments are planned for the town. There will be more demand on parking with less space. Who in their right mind would be enticed into Abingdon with the traffic problems as they are.
Sorry to be flippant, but with the ballet papers are they going to be proposing a swan lake!
As a member of the BID steering group, I’d like to thank Alastair for attending last night and accurately reporting what was said at the event.
Daniel – to address your points, all of the businesses eligible to vote were sent an invitation to last nights launch event. There is only one levy paying hereditament on Audlett Drive which is a car park. It couldn’t attend itself but sent representatives from the council. There were people in attendance last night who have voted no in previous BID votes in different areas but who are going to vote yes this time. That said to address your point about offering balance I’m not sure that David Cameron would invite Jeremy Corbyn along to his party manifesto launch “for balance”.
We asked businesses to attend and give their views because this is their BID, any businesses who has a vote can seek election to the BID board of directors once the limited company is formed. We want the businesses of Abingdon to have a vehicle that they control that can help shape our town now and into the future. This differs from CHAPs which was a council funded initiative. The collective voice of over 350 businesses in town will increase the chances of being able to speak with and influence decision makers, be they within the council or Scotiish Widows or elsewhere.
I suggest there might be lots of misinformation and inaccuracies spread over the next few weeks but if you wish to know the facts then please visit our website Abingdon.bid where a copy of the business plan is available.
Finally I would like to add that myself and others within the team have given up our own time for the last 18 months to try and make this positive thing happen. If this doesn’t happen I would like to know from those that are against the idea what their alternative plan is to improve the town?
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came along to last night’s launch of the Abingdon BID business plan. What a great event it was and special thanks to the keynote speakers for their time and effort; special thanks to Liz who travelled all the way from the Lancaster BID area to support us, thank you. The key message I personally took from the launch of the Abingdon BID was the passion that still exists in our town and we can use that passion to help make Abingdon the successful town it deserves to be.
Businesses in the BID area should have received their copy of the business plan by now, if not then please contact info@abingdon.bid and we will get a copy to you. Don’t worry if you were unable to make last night’s event, we will be holding drop in sessions and the team will try to visit everyone in the coming weeks. If you would like to offer your support then please do contact me or anyone on the team.
If you missed the launch or you want to relive it, you will be able to watch the video of the event, hopefully by the end of next week – further information on this and the BID can be found on our web site http://www.abingdon.bid.
In my humble opinion doing nothing is unacceptable – Abingdon: Achieving success – Remember there is no plan ‘B’
Thank you for your continued support
Mike Hurley
Chairman Abingdon BID team.
.. and will the lake be full of Capt. K’s damp squids?
I was at the launch event last night but sadly had to leave before I could get a straight answer about the setup and administrative costs of the BID and if there was an intention to make those costs available before the ballot. Looking at other BIDS who have chosen to make these costs available this typically pans out to be 20% or more of the overall BID levy. For Abingdon that would be £160,000 over the 5 years, a tidy sum currently hidden away in the project budget.
I too think the BID area is too large, possibly to include bigger businesses, like Waitrose, who are known to be supporters of BIDs in general and with a cap on the levy charged, only required to find 0.6% of their rateable value rather than 1.79% like everyone else. Their voting clout is based on their RV not the levy paid (one of the two voting criteria is a majority Yes by RV as well as a straight majority Yes by count) so they are getting something of a bargain. If I had a vote (businesses with an RV less than £3,000 don’t get a vote) I would vote No. Small, independent niche businesses are what gives a town its character and draw, without the need for extravagant events and marketing campaigns and they are often the losers when a BID is ‘successful’, being driven out by higher rents.
If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.
it is truely wonderful that people are spending their own time on this, if they think it will help. Great. I just wonder though….
Does Witney have a BID? Does Didcot?
I only ask as they are thriiving, aren’t they?
Even Wantgage is seemingly on the Up! Do they have a BID?
I just wonder whether (as there are clearly some people dissatified with the BID), if all the other options have been exhausted first? Such as…talking to someone from Witney? It may only cost the price of a fairtrade coffee, or a Rain forest alliance hot chocolate. Or indeed a local beer? Rather rhan 1000s and 1000s and 1000s of pounds. Maybe have the meeting about Abingdon in….I don’t know…Faringdon?
And, if the absolute best business minds in town are indeed going to get a hefty wad of cash…is more free wifi, and car park signage out of town all they can come with to spend that money on? Oh…and a strongly worded letter about opening the car park 24 hrs. Not to actually open the car park. Just to ask.
I’m no business man. What do I know. All credit for trying – you are right, some one has to…and those tasked with it already haven’t been much cop. But, as a lay person…and, one of my original points….why are the *businesses* being asked what they want to improve town…?
The businesses don’t ‘use’ the town. The shoppers ‘use’ the town. The ‘residents’ use the town – or are the likely target. Just a suggestion…but why don’t you ask THEM what they want in town?
The BID may well club together and spend loads and loads and loads of money on out of town LED screens for the car parks…but what if 30,000 residents said they will use the town centre more if there were more flowers?
….I know where I’d then sugget spending the money…and it wouldn’t cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.
As I said, it is clearly very complicated and I can barely keep up….which is why Im no business man. But from where I’m sitting….you are asking the wrong people. Again. And so I see no reason why this enerprise, whilst worthy, is likely to be as (un)successful as the other enterprises and intiatives.
Hester, you’re not a business “person” nor will you ever likely to pay the tax, so this is one subject that can well do without your comment! I’m sad to see the same old moaning about lack of footfall independents clutching at another straw ! They ought to try opening their shops on time, offer a late night option and Sunday instead of trying to impose a compulsory tax on businesses that will see no Benoit from a bid, this could have an adverse effect in town by driving out all those businesses that don’t need a “shop window” recruitment agencies, solicitors, office based business’s even estate agency’s can all operate from I, t. The area needs to be retail based, that is to say high, stert and bridge strews along with the precinct and definitely should not include public ally owned ( council ) property that the council tax payer will ultimately end up subsidising
Your posts are increasingly unintelligible Steve.
Some people are trying to do something good for the town and I for one wish them every success.
Ignore the increasingly boring nay-sayers and go for it BID team.
To address the question of the BID overheads:
The majority of the 210 BIDs across the UK are charged a collection fee by the Local Authority for invoicing and collecting the BID levy.
The Council have confirmed there will be no such fee for the Abingdon BID.
As the standard / common collection fee is normally £5,000 this is saving the BID £25K over the 5-year BID term.
The software for generating the BID invoices is circa £10 – 15k and again this has been wavered.
The salary for the BID Manager / Town Centre Manager will be decided by the BID Board but the national average would be circa £30k pa for a full time position. Of course you pay for what you get and if you want to attract an individual that is successfully managing a BID elsewhere, has increased footfall, filled the empty shops and made the BID levy contribution cost neutral for businesses through collective purchasing for recycling and insurance, free secure business WIFI etc then you will want them to come to Abingdon.
So in answer to your question
BID collection fee £0
BID software fee £0
BID manager £dependent on the salary you want to pay
BID office – I am confident this can be secured free of charge after the ballot
It is completely up to businesses / the BID Board whether or not a full-time position is required or whether a three day week for example would be sufficient to project manage all BID projects detailed within the BID business plan.
The Sutton BID in London funds their BID manager three days a week and he is responsible for bringing in additional funds to cover the remaining two days of the week.
The Newbury BID collects £200k per annum and has collected an additional £700k over their BID term in additional funds (grants / sponsorship / voluntary membership / donations) which demonstrates the value of a good BID manager.
Employing an independent person to project manage the BID is key and that person would be accountable to all businesses and the main point of contact.
The Lichfield BID ballot was voted in by businesses in July. After the successful vote offers of free office accommodation for the city centre / BID manager came in as businesses and stakeholders were pleased to support the BID in any way they could.
Comment from Remade guitars. Nowhere in teh business plan does it say anything about those with a rateable value under 3000 not getting a vote. Does this mean they don’t pay the levy? or will it be forced upon them by the bigger companies.
This bid is doomed, already they are hiding the figures. How much has the business plan cost to produce?
You could work this another way, why don’t we add £5 per person to the council tax each year & pass this onto the town centre. That will probably be what will happen after a year.
Are other areas developing a BID?
It is my understanding that Wantage Town Team are attending a BID conference next week and also that Oxford are developing a BID.
Isn’t it best to be the trailblazer and lead the way rather than wait for neighbouring towns and cities to develop a thought out business plan and a sustainable budget to get things done.
I will contact Didcot, Wantage and Witney to find out whether they are considering developing a BID.
We would like to introduce the NO campaign. We will not waste money on fancy brochures, launch parties, websites. We will bring you the true facts.
You can email us, anonymously if you wish, noabingdonbid@gmail.com . Your name will not be released. Together we can WIN.
Please note Abingdonian, captainchaos and vote no are all the same person – steve king suffering from another bout of multiple personality disorder
Please note: Abingdonian has not contributed to this jumble, and certainly does not wish to be confused with Abingdonian1, whoever that might be.
Iain Not everyone saying No is a nay-sayer. I’ve read the proposal, looked at other towns experiences, considered why towns not renewing their BID have made that decision, checked the legislation around BIDs and made what I believe is an informed decision that a BID will not benefit my business (even allowing for the fact it will cost me nothing) and is not the best way forward for Abingdon. To answer the question “what is the best way forward then”? I would say take a look at Wantage. They spent a £23k grant on a town centre manager and massively reduced empty units and increased footfall.
Abingdonian1 Take a look at item 19 on P29 it’s all there in black and white.
VOTE NO I don’t hold with all this anonymity business. It stifles meaningful debate. What is there to hide from?
hi Robin – hadn’t meant to brand you a nay-sayer (apologies) – my comment was directed at the frequent posters on this site, who know exactly who they are, who post negatively on virtually everything whilst never actually doing anything positive themselves.
On your substantive point, I do however think it is good that the businesses are getting together to take a proactive stance on the future of the town centre, and as such I am supportive of the BID. The wantage solution is interesting (not disimilar to CHAP really) but I’m not sure that it’s achieved that much more – maybe a bit better at PR.
I’ve written a few comments but all awaiting moderation. Hopefully they will publish to provide balance in the BID discussion.
Some BID facts which may be of interest and speak for themselves:
Worcester BID
2,689 employees of BID businesses are signed up to their Employalty Card
348 customer service assessments and reports (mystery shopping) undertaken for 160 businesses
40% increase in footfall (week-on-week) on the Sunday of the 2014 Foodie Festival
93 businesses receive free membership of CityNet and 56 for NightSafe
93 businesses receive free membership of CityNet and 56 for NightSafe
49 new pedestrian fingerpost signs highlight 67 different commercial areas and attractions within the BID area
580 employees of BID businesses have benefited from discounted parking through Worcester BID
231,621 times to pay for parking by phone since we introduced it in November 2010 and March 2014
119 businesses benefit from BID funded Christmas lights for the frontages to their business
15 TV and radio interviews to promote Worcester was #open4business during and after floods of February 2014
54 project ideas submitted by attendees and respondents to the BID2 consultation
Solihull BID:
Spends £1.3 million on marketing and events over the five year BID term
Truro BID:
3 consecutive Gold awards for South West in Bloom
Events bringing in an additional 25,000 people
Website receives 1,000 hits per day with one page for every business to the value of £150
Production of 17,500 event guides
Marketing coverage valued at £30,000 – £40,000
9th lowest retail vacancy rate in UK (out of 750)
Falmouth BID:
Falmouth Spring Festival
New logo and brand for the town
100,000 new visitor map guides distributed
New logo to support Fal 350
New Falmouth shopper bag
Six vacant sites revamped eg Woolworths and Threshers
Official new website with over 500 pages
National PR campaign achieving £200,000 worth of national coverage – a return on investment of 15:1
New street furniture, 200+ new flags, 2,500+ metres of bunting and 100+ floral displays
New Christmas Festival
A new cruise ship scheme that has trialled the dropping of 5,000 passengers in the centre of town
Numerous FREE training courses for local businesses and financial support for all major local events.
Broad Street BID
Recorded crime down by 50.7%
87% of visitors thought that Broad Street was safer than before the BID
385 hanging baskets in the BID area each year
Generated £2.1 million of positive media coverage in 12 months
Created the high profile ‘Walk of the Stars’
Installed 37,000 LED tree lights
BID branded taxi marshals
Rugby BID:
Installed state of the art CCTV system in the town
24/7 monitoring by BID CCTV operatives
Rugby Rangers – high visibility, friendly, helpful town ambassadors patrolling the town
Shoplifting incidents decreased by 54%
Every week their BID Clean Team visit 90+ businesses to clean the exterior of business premises, shop frontages and doorways
Introduced events and marketing to encourage more visitors to Rugby
Plymouth BID:
Daytime crime reduced by 23%
300,000 additional day time visitors to the city since the start of the BID
Parking promotions
Plymouth BID manages the Council car parking service
Camden BID:
Funded an additional 28 uniformed Police Officers to patrol the BID area
Reduced crime by over 30%
Removed 4,000 pieces of graffiti
Prepared and delivered a £10 million streetscape regeneration plan
All BID streets cleaned at least once a day,
in addition to the Council standard service
Introduced London’s first 24 hour
commercial pop up space
InHolborn BID’s bulk buying club achieved 25% savings on electricity costs
Bedford BID’s marketing created an additional 9,000 people in town per week
Winchester BID:
25% increase in daily tours of the city
£48,000 Christmas campaign
Hull’s BID achieved a 38% reduction in crime within the city
Kingston BID’s retail sales increased by 7.5%
Coventry’s BID increased footfall by over 2% when the West Midlands average was down by 6%, a very dramatic contrast
90% of respondents felt that the level of cleanliness had improved or greatly improved as a result of the Holborn BID
The New West End Company (London) achieved two years of sales growth ahead of the UK in the first term of the BID
Apology Michelle. New email accounts await for me to moderate and I have only just noticed.
Iain – please note: Abingdonian did not contribute to this
muddle, and is not to be confused with Abingdonian1, whoever that (or those) may be!
‘… multiple personality disorder …’ disgusting that people should use ‘doppels’ isn’t it Iain. I’m sure you’ll be able to assure us that you’re not ‘BoomSounds’, who’s been popping up in the local media being emotional about the (rightly) abandoned Guildhall Cinema plan.
BTW, Iain, how’s your Freedom Of Information application re. that project progressing?
I can categorically assure you Bill that I’m not Boom sounds and I haven’t posted (or followed discussions) on any other sites for a couple of years
It is a pity that people use this blog to slag others off personally, but since Capt K has chosen (not for the first time) to make personal remarks about me, I would like to point out that I am an officer in an organisation that operates within the BID area so am affected by it and that in an earlier incarnation I did work in a commercial business; also that the only comment I have made so far was a light-hearted reference to a typo he had made.
Iain I protest most strongly at your statement saying the email link to no vote campaign is mine and that two other pseudonyms are mine. Ask Backstreeter to confirm this by checking the I. P addresses of the said. As for the typo errors I’m presently on a ship with very limited connection and my predicted text is running amok which is just the thing you’re doing again while perpetuating your vendetta against me. Silly boy !
Michelle, 16, Oxford has rejected a bid, twice we believe. Your comment about the bid manager getting outside funding, is that all he/she will be doing? or will they be doing the same as other bids, in joining forces with the councils to undertake small projects, then as it is a joint venture claim that the councils partial funding is “sponsorship”?
Iain, 18, We are not the same as captainchaos or abingdonian.
Remade Guitars 19, we believe in anonymity as some people businesses feel they will be boycotted if they speak out.
Now one of our members has asked why the business plans are different? This person has been handed a copy which is missing 4 pages but another 4 are duplicated. This person asks, what are they hiding on the missing pages? Isn’t it undemocratic to ask people to vote when the manifesto is incomplete?
Bill – to your second point on the FoI request – my apologies ypthis was a bit delayed. Have had an ongoing serious family issue over the summer and hadn’t quite got round to sending it. I’ve now finalised it and sent it off so we will see what they say.
To answer the questions from the anonymous.
“Michelle, 16, Oxford has rejected a bid, twice we believe. Your comment about the bid manager getting outside funding, is that all he/she will be doing? or will they be doing the same as other bids, in joining forces with the councils to undertake small projects, then as it is a joint venture claim that the councils partial funding is “sponsorship”
Oxford voted no to a BID back in 2008.
They are in their early stages of BID development now.
There are 13 BIDs in Birmingham, 35 in London, 210 across the UK and 95% of BIDs are voted back in after their first five year term which demonstrates their value to businesses.
The BID Manager will be accountable to businesses,
They will ensure delivery of a range of services, programmes and events that enhance the offer for business, build the profile of the town as a business & retail / lesiure destination and contribute to the strong economic growth of Abingdon. They will project manage all BID projects detailed within the business plan and they will have to secure additional BID revenue. This could include match funding if this is available.
Please let me know who has a misprinted business plan and I will hand them a replacement next week. My email address is within the business plan. Thank you.
Steve – i have no vendetta against you – i just disagree with virtually everything you write on this site. Just because you were born here doesn’t give you a monopoly on having strong views on the town or a love for the place.
I note your objections – I’m sure you’re capable of tracking down more than one IP address if you need to. Whilst we’re on objections, I also object to being patronisingly called a boy (yet again) if it comes down to it – i’m 48 and have long since gravitated from short pants. I do appreciate your stopping mis-spelling my name so thanks for that at least.
A Business Improvement District (BID) is an opportunity for Abingdon in an increasingly competitive economic climate, pooling resources through the Business Improvement District would benefits businesses, residents and visitors.
It’s making the most of Abingdon’s retail, leisure, heritage and culture by promoting to a wider audience, and helping drive continued growth across the town centre and beyond.
The BID footfall counters throughout the BID area would demonstrate the success of a BID .
Isn’t it fantastic that local businesses in Abingdon want to increase footfall and sales turnover and raise the profile of the town.
210 other towns and cities that have BIDs can’t be wrong!
‘… I can categorically assure you Bill that I’m not Boom sounds …’
Well, you have to admit that BoomSounds comment on this article in The Herald makes him/her sound almost as though he/she can read your mind:
http://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/hsabingdonnews/13638996.Guildhall___s_revamp_work_is_started_but_cinema_bid_is_still_being_costed/
It’s totally spooky.
Best of luck with the FoI request … our breaths are bated.
I would encourage all businesses to take an active role in the BID, represent your area of the town, come to the table with your ideas and help take the BID forward.
I think its fantastic that the businesses on the BID steering group have given up their time voluntarily, one evening a week for over a year to get the BID to this stage; it would be a shame if this tried and tested opportunity and business model for a town centre is not taken by businesses in Abingdon.
The BID will prove itself as an inventive and progressive organisation run for local businesses by local businesses.
I, and several other likeminded business people, have given up endless hours of our lives to try and help this town. If you’re a business owner and that interested in the town perhaps you should get involved like I did. The BID team are not the enemy, we’re just hoping to bring businesses in town together as one group to create a new way of promoting the town and to bring in extra investment. A new group with a bigger and stronger voice. You, i.e. the businesses in town have a chance to make a difference! Vote yes and we can do something positive, vote no and watch Didcot, Henley, Wantage and Witney take your trade away from you.
I hadn’t seen it till reading your link Bill – but you’re correct that it is similar to my views (although my kids tend to go to Oxford rather than Didcot to watch the cinema and spend their/my money :)). I dont find the similarity of view too surprising though given the comments I receive when people talk to me about the cinema in and around town.
Well, Iain, perhaps a close relative wrote the comment.
For what it’s worth I don’t think that the current plans, what little we know of them, are ‘much cop’ as they seem to be more about the ‘form’ of the building modifications and not about any prospective useful function.
Between wasting £100K on useless consultancy for a cinema and chopping-up the interior of that ugly building into ‘bite-size pieces’ I don’t really see much difference in the ‘Competency Stakes’ . I’d call it a dead-heat.
Thanks for providing a forum for all this BID stuff, Alastair. It’s wonderful entertainment.
The photograph accompanying this article:
http://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/hsabingdonnews/13763912.Businesses_urged_to_back_trade_boost_bid/
shows the guilty parties.
I think The Herald should use it as the inaugural photograph for a ‘guess the caption’ competition.
Lets be clear on the consultancy costs. Of the £100k you quote nearly all of this was related to the building redevelopment in general and will be equally applicable to the new plans as the old. I’m talking about architects fees (fixed price contract), quantity surveyor, mechanical engineering assessments, accoustic study, light impact assessments. The words consultancy is loaded – we’re really talking about professional fees.
If you want to criticise the activities relating to the cinema advise specifically you can talk about approx £20k for specialist advise on the cinema market, support in developing the business case and professinal support for the temder process. You can fairly criticise this as wasted although I think it was worth the effort and in fact the council should have proceeded on the basis of this work.
Try and keep to the facts Bill – I have explained this to you on this site previously.
For the ‘facts’ we await the unabridged publication of the results of your FoI request, Iain.
The wasted money, however much, is, of course, open for speculation and only one factor of many including the ‘opportunity cost’ of the TC twiddling its thumbs while the money burned and more sensible options were ignored. The ‘time frame’ is years, and counting … and still no accounting for the total lack of business competence.
Let the FoI lay out the expenditures and the people (however misguided) who do the ‘final’ development tell us which were the ‘useful expenditures’ which they are willing to adopt/pick up and then we’ll see whether the remainder is nearer £20K, or £100K. Until then, Iain, you’re posting fiction to your own advantage.
I’ve nothing against you … I agree, reveal the facts and let them tell the story.
The £100k has already been published previously Bill. I can’t remember which meeting but it was attached to one of the Guildhall Committee meetings minutes. It certainly wasnt abridged and you and others can form their own opinions.
Fair point on the timing and opportunity costs, one of the most salutory things i found in working with local government and through the democratic processes is how depressingly long everything takes, especially stuff which is complex or new.
As merely a resident, and seemingly an afterthought in all of this – just a punter with a pound in my pocket, I eagerly await what strategies, ideas, and new thinking are bought to the town. Early days I appreciate….but free WiFi isn’t really doing it for me.
Still, if it’s what the businesses want…
The free WIFI would be for visitors and businesses alike as seen in other BID areas.
This means that businesses are able to cancel their current Internet provider if they wish and use the BID secure WIFI.
All businesses that use the Internet or even offer a card payment service that requires an Internet connection are able to use the wifi.
The Lichfield BID, that was voted in by businesses in July is working to install it early next year.
Shoppers will be able to use the free wifi to pay their parking so they don’t have to rush back to their car, read what events are on and see the special offers businesses have.
There will be different landing pages dependent upon where the user is accessing it. The Cathedral in Lichfield, who are paying a voluntary contribution of £5k per annum, would like any wifi users close to the cathedral to land on the cathedrals home page, similarly to the independent’s areas of the City, restaurants, offices, shopping centre etc.
It’s just another way to make the BID cost neutral for businesses. Turn off your Internet, use the BID wifi (with individual passwords for each business for security the same as home WIFI) and make an instant saving.
In the Worcester BID some independent businesses make savings four times the cost of their BID levy.
It would be great if all of the energy put in to these posts was put to good use – attend BID meetings, join the group, bring ideas and positively and realise that neighbouring towns and the Internet are fast becoming the first choice for shoppers and realise the BID is providing a solution that has worked in 210 other towns and cities across the UK.
If they truly didn’t work then why do 95% of BIDs get voted back in for their second 5-year term.
A good point from Daniel – residents could be represented on the BID board after the ballot, providing businesses vote yes.
The fundamental rim opal of a bid is that it’s for business, funded by business and administered by an elected board chosen by business? It should be transparent . Honest and democratic? Which begs the question ” on whose authority did the bid proposers negotiate a behind closed doors deal with Waitrose offering them a discount on their levy in return for their yes vote? Moreover what would happen if the bid is approved and the Newley. Members elected committee overturns this back door deal and insists. Waitrose pay the same %? If wait rose refuse will they be excluded from the bid!? If so what of their vote? Either way the deal isn’t fair, democratic or honest!
Why should a hairdresser at the to of the vineyard have a compulsory tax imposed on them when footfall plays little part in their business, it’s all about reputation and repeate trade, is it fair the Anchor. That doesn’t open lunchtime during the week will also have a compulsory tax unforced on him, ditto all the businesses within the zone where footfall and a visible presence play no part? Solicitors architects, offices, dentists or the one man band working from a spare room? In principal a bid could be good, but it should only be imposed on those who would benefit from it, ie, the retail sector only.
BID Boards are “transparent, honest and democratic”. Pending a successful ‘yes’ vote all businesses would be invited onto the official BID Board.
The BID Board has to be representative of the BID area and for example if 50% of the BID area are independent retail and 20% are restaurants then the makeup of the BID Board would also be structured in this way. This ensures that all sectors including hair & beauty / professional services etc are represented.
National businesses such as Waitrose / Tesco etc are not just in one BID area and are typically in 100+ BID areas across the UK. Their annual contributions to BIDs across the UK would spiral if they were subject to a levy that was uncapped in all of these BID locations. For example an Asda store within another BID area I am working in has a rateable value of £2 million; therefore their contribution to the other BID would be £20,000 per annum which they would not support. So to move forward with their support, include them within the BID boundary and ensure they do contribute to the BID it is being capped.
There is nothing to prevent the newly elected BID Board discussing this with Waitrose and securing an additional investment from them to top up their £5,000 which I have seen in other BID areas and nothing to prevent the BID Board from increasing the cap in any subsequent BID terms.
It is all relative, for example a building society in Abingdon would be contributing £138 per annum to the BID.
I would imagine businesses large and small all have a town centre presence so that they are accessible to the public and to benefit from passing trade. A prosperous town centre will benefit all businesses across all sectors and who can honestly say they don’t want more customers or to improve the customer experience for their current customers.
As a long standing business owner in Abingdon I am personally thrilled that my fellow businesses have taken the initiative to take direct action in trying to increase footfall because I for one go home after a long day running my business and I have not attended any BID meetings so I applaud all those that have.
We are all well aware that shoppers use the internet, visit out of town shopping parks and with competition so close by Abingdon really needs to step up a gear and have the edge to entice more customers in because we are leaking customers every month.
If trade continues in this way I may not be open for another years trading and before that happens I am happy to invest my £150 into the area I have chosen to open a business.
Michelle has written that we can use the business wifi scheme, I currently pay £26 a month for my broadband so that over £300 a year I spend just on that. Already I have a return on my bid levy.
My customers complain about the car park charges after their two free hours and I would be interested to see how we can address this as a group of businesses.
An advert in a newspaper or booklet costs over £100 a year and my bid levy is not much more than that.
Read the BID facts that are written above before you pass judgement!
We are not all small minded business people that are negative about progress; I for one need Abingdon to change for my business to survive.
I pay over £1000 a year for my council tax and am very happy to be investing in my town. Good luck Abingdon BID, we all need this!!!!!
Michelle, I am glad to hear that our BID in Abingdon will be “transparent, honest and democratic”. Will this transparency extend to releasing full statements of accounts to businesses without requiring them to sign a non disclosure agreement (as is the case in some BIDs)?
I am also glad to see you accept that the purpose of the the capped levy is indeed to secure support from supermarkets and the like.
Finally, when you say the BID board will be representative of the BID area will this extend to non business owning residents who live there?
Yes every BID across the UK holds an AGM and at this all businesses are invited and given a full set of independently audited accounts.
They are also available online as BID must be transparent after all it is funded by businesses. I do not know of any BID that make their levy paying businesses sign a non disclosure form – perhaps this is for people that are not levy paying businesses.
Regarding residents yes someone to represent residents should be offered a place on the BID Board as mentioned in comment 45.
That’s good news, although I note that the BID board would have to first agree the inclusion of a non levy paying resident.
I believe that Bedford BID requires signature of an NDA before sight of full accounts and Weymouth BID has a much wider ranging NDA I am sure there are others.
I have no doubt that the BID board will be inclusive.
BID accounts are made available to all levy payers at each AGM.
Last year Bedford BID were voted in for a third term; that’s quite impressive to be voted in three times so their BID must be proving itself to its levy payers and businesses must be happy with the projects and the accounts.
Here are their accounts, available online without request: http://www.lovebedford.co.uk/perch/resources/signed-march-2014-full-accounts-1.pdf
Reply to comment 48, business wifi. Yes you could save over £300 a year on broadband. But is it secure? even the CIA was recently hacked. Once someone finds this wifi & hacks into the network everyone using it is at risk. Anyone using chip & pin through this network will be putting all of their customers at risk of fraud. As well as this, anyone using online accounting or payroll packages, are risking their entire business accounts being stolen, and their entire staffs personal details STOLEN. Are you willing to risk all this, just to save a small bit of money? Not for me, if I lost my customers because their credit cards were fraudulently used because of this, I would not be in business for very long.
Next question, We all know how sometimes we have to unplug out router for re boot. What happens when this happens? Who is responsible for fixing any faults? What happens if it happens during anti social hours i.e newsagents in the morning, or pubs & restaurants late into the evening?
If this happens Abingdon would be CLOSED FOR BUSINESS
I would imagine it depends on who the supplier is and what service level agreement is agreed and what security software is appled.
I stand corrected and apologise. I was basing my information on a news story in The Independent from 2014. I really should know better than to believe the press (or maybe the news story shamed them into changing their policy, who knows?)
You are indeed correct that the Bedford BID has been returned for a third term but it was hardly the whole hearted endorsement you imply.
Only 221 out of a possible 568 actually voted (less than 40%) and of those 115 said YES and 106 said NO that’s a majority of only 9 and Bedford Borough Council own 21 businesses in the area and so have 21 (obviously YES) votes. It gets more interesting when you look at the RV figures for the results. The YES votes had a total rateable value of £8,674,050 while the figure for the NO votes was only £2,014,900. Clearly big businesses find the BID rather more attractive than their smaller counterparts.
In closing it is fair to say that I am against BIDs in general, not just for Abingdon. I believe they are a negative step towards the privatisation of our towns and city centres and will ultimately produce town and city centres that are homogenised and dominated by big business and chains. Why is that such a bad thing you might ask. Isn’t that just sour grapes from an independent who is obviously jealous of the big boys? Do the maths for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Independent businesses operated by local owners put, on average, 50% of their turnover back into the local economy. Multiples and chains not locally owned put only 5% of turnover back into the local economy. A high street without a large proportion of locally owned independents is ultimately not sustainable.
In the same way that I would urge you not to take the word of those promoting BIDs as gospel, I would equally urge you to view my statements in the same way. Do your own research, find out things for yourself. Ask questions and question answers and above all, if you are eligible to vote, for heavens sake vote. Apathy is the death of democracy so don’t leave it to someone else to take the responsibility for you.
The WIFI is as secure as any other internet connection in any home or business and every business would have a unique password to connect. In fact it is so secure that in other BID areas the Council even use the BID WIFI.
Businesses wouldn’t be using ‘The Cloud’ – it is a secure connection for each business, if they wanted to use it.
It isn’t the Abingdon BID members installing the WIFI and running it, a professional company that install it in towns and cities across the UK provide the service so you can be assured it works very well, without fail in plenty of other towns and cities and is a reliable service.
There isn’t just one router / hotspot. there are many (normally 30-40 per town) and in the event of one ‘failing’ then the others take their place. They are called a “Self-healing, self learning network connections”.
As it is provided by BT / Virgin (whichever provide the faster connection in the area) then this would affect businesses anyway in the event there were issues with that company.
Businesses don’t have to use the WIFI, it was just an example of one of the many BID projects within the proposal.
After the BID ballot companies that install WIFI in towns and cities would come to Abingdon and speak at a public meeting to answer all questions from businesses. In Lichfield we are just going through this process now and even Lichfield Cathedral want to take advantage of the WIFI, as do the majority of our independents and also our market traders who for the first time will be able to offer card payments because of the BID WIFI.
The company I am dealing with provide the full management, full warranty service and there are no hidden costs; it is all factored in.
If anyone would like to discuss the BID please contact me by emailing Michelle@abingdon.bid or call 07527 016338
Reply to Remade Guitars: “I believe they are a negative step towards the privatisation of our towns and city centres and will ultimately produce town and city centres that are homogenised and dominated by big business and chains”.
Actually BIDs are doing quite the opposite, they are a mechanism for local businesses to make their town more appealing and attract additional customers and footfall.
Abingdon can’t compete with the shopping offer in Oxford for example and nor should it, it should celebrate the independent offer, attract more independent businesses and as Mike said at the BID Launch create a brand of ‘Uniquely Abingdon’. (page 13 of business plan).
Abingdon should celebrate its heritage and beauty and the BID is a way of doing this.
I agree with you businesses should use their vote. .
As a local business owner in Abingdon I am utterly ashamed of the lengths my fellow businesses will go to with the scaremongering about the BID!
Every question answered is just not good enough for you.
Every BID project put forward that works perfectly well elsewhere you keep saying could not possibly work in Abingdon!
Wouldn’t it be great if businesses put their business head on, saw what other BIDs have accomplished and worked together for once, how do they manage this in other towns but here we are all too cynical and too negative for Abingdon to realise it is 2015 and shopping habits have changed, our customers are going elsewhere and with the appalling attitude of business owners I now know why.
Do we really want Abingdon to stay the same? Cant we just try and work together on this.
Have we all really got so many customers that we don’t need a plan to attract more?
Do we all take our customers for granted to the extent that we don’t want to improve Abingdon for them if not for ourselves?
Are we all really that scared of change that we will do and say anything to stop a project that has worked successfully in over 200 other towns?
There are other groups in the town and their successes may be limited because they don’t have the £800,000 budget the BID will provide.
Lets join forces – all groups come together and work on the BID.
Why don’t the people in this forum stop being bitter, backwards and negative and join the BID group. Put all of your energy into something positive.
How much time and energy are you all wasting in taking swipes at the BID.
The BID will cost me £150 and the business plan presents what I will be contributing towards. I pay £1000 for my Council Tax – can we please get a reality check here!
Help the town stop hindering the towns progress!
I urge my fellow businesses to read the BID business plan and VOTE YES FOR ABINGDON BID before it is too late and this opportunity is lost.
#58 ref Abingdon can’t compete with the shopping offer in Oxford !
Please elaborate on what shopping offer is currently available in Oxford ? it’s totally abysmal !
Coming together is a beginning;
keeping together is progress;
working together is success.
“Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings, they did it by killing all people who opposed them”.
Anon.
I am an the owner of an independent business which was started from dust with no help from anyone and I don’t have a vote on this matter. I have paid a large amount of money to the Chamber of Commerce over the years and then we saw money also go to CHAPS.
Mine is not a business that relies on footfall but it does rely on positive support from other independent businesses .All that I need is for people to talk about my business just as I talk about theirs and support them in word even if not in deed! (can’t always afford to buy what they sell!)
I don’t think throwing money at the issues in Abingdon would be necessary if we all talked more about what everyone does here. Perhaps we also need to accept that the town is becoming a social space not a shopping destination. (read the super expensive CHAPS research to see this conclusion.)
Cycling is super popular with lots of cyclists stopping in the town at the weekends. Which our our businesses is welcoming them and connecting with them?
The ParkRun on Saturdays is also a huge event and who is connecting with all those lovely people?
We all know which businesses are busy and thriving and perhaps we need to ask why. I’ll give you one example – Masons. Why are they busy? Because they have a loyal customer base who talk about the service they receive in all three shops, the things that can be bought in those shops and how it is worth the drive and the parking palaver to buy what is on offer.
Have you ever been into F Knight (now Sydenhams) and found it empty? Why do you thin that is? I’d suggest it is similar to why people go to Masons.
Many other businesses in town are not unique so they are going to have to try harder or accept their fate. £800k and free wifi may not be the answer but if it is, I’d like my chamber subs back!
Rachel – I completely agree with you that free WIFI isn’t the panacea to increasing footfall or raising the profile of Abingdon and its businesses.
That was just one of the 27 projects within the BID Business Plan at http://www.abingdon.bid and an example project of how the BID levy contribution could be cost-neutral to businesses.
As you said the town centre is increasingly becoming a social space and the WIFI for visitors would promote events and businesses as well as provide them with the service that does accompany cafe culture.
That was just one of the 27 projects within the BID Business Plan and an example project of how the BID levy contribution could be cost-neutral to businesses so they could have an instant return.
Other BID projects include:
Cohesive marketing strategy and brand for Abingdon
Enhanced digital and print marketing
Tourism strategy and Visit England
Promote Independents and create a ‘Uniquely Abingdon brand
Attract new quality businesses
Welcome to Abingdon signage
Coach driver incentives and ‘Meet and Greet’ for coach parties
Special Offers Scheme
Magical Christmas
Abingdon Food Festival and enhance the town’s foodie reputation
Eye-catching markets
Style, taste, culture and miscue events
Restaurant Week
A town with investment
Free parking offers and better parking promotion
Card payment and pay by phone parking
Free WIFI for businesses, shoppers and visitors
Boost our streets and enhance our cafe culture
Investment and sponsorship
Cycling incentives
Town Centre / BID Manager
A range of new incentives for businesses to open in the town including pop-up shops
Footfall counters throughout the town
Making buying together easier / collective purchasing for training, recycling etc
Superheats business broadband
Enhance business networking
I agree with you there should be someone welcoming cyclists and those that participate in ParkRun but currently there isn’t and the 40,000 residents in Abingdon also aren’t using their town centre and visitors to Oxford aren’t also coming to Abingdon.
This is why the marketing strategy is so important so that will guide what marketing initiatives are carried out and state how best to attract people into the town.
In other BID areas they send a 12 month programme of events to all residents every year, produce a business directory profiling the towns businesses and send to all businesses and residents and place in static locations such as hotels and hairdressers, they advertise on the radio, through social media etc.
The marketing strategy in Lichfield told us that residents don’t want to commute to Birmingham Christmas market which runs for the whole of December and would support a magical Christmas closer to home. So they are gearing up for Christmas and the BID will compliment their current Christmas events with the addition of:
Free parking
Family friendly attractions
Brand new christmas lights throughout the whole BID area / town
Christmas lights switch on
A sparkling Christmas parade
New high street Childrens grotto
60 snow topped chalets selling Christmas fayre
Victorian market
The guaranteed magic of white christmas with artificial snow falling in the town centre
Father Christmas, reindeer and a land train for children
Ice skating rink
Bridge the gap between day and evening economy and ensure events flow through to the evening
If you would like to discuss the BID please call me on t 07527 016 338 / email Michelle@Abingdon.bid
Rachel – I completely agree with you that free WIFI isn’t the panacea to increasing footfall or raising the profile of Abingdon and its businesses.
That was just one of the 27 projects within the BID Business Plan at http://www.abingdon.bid and an example project of how the BID levy contribution could be cost-neutral to businesses.
As you said the town centre is increasingly becoming a social space and the WIFI for visitors would promote events and businesses as well as provide them with the service that does accompany cafe culture.
That was just one of the 27 projects within the BID Business Plan and an example project of how the BID levy contribution could be cost-neutral to businesses so they could have an instant return.
Other BID projects include:
Cohesive marketing strategy and brand for Abingdon
Enhanced digital and print marketing
Tourism strategy and Visit England
Promote Independents and create a ‘Uniquely Abingdon brand
Attract new quality businesses
Welcome to Abingdon signage
Coach driver incentives and ‘Meet and Greet’ for coach parties
Special Offers Scheme
Magical Christmas
Abingdon Food Festival and enhance the town’s foodie reputation
Eye-catching markets
Style, taste, culture and miscue events
Restaurant Week
A town with investment
Free parking offers and better parking promotion
Card payment and pay by phone parking
Free WIFI for businesses, shoppers and visitors
Boost our streets and enhance our cafe culture
Investment and sponsorship
Cycling incentives
Town Centre / BID Manager
A range of new incentives for businesses to open in the town including pop-up shops
Footfall counters throughout the town
Making buying together easier / collective purchasing for training, recycling etc
Superfast business broadband
Enhance business networking
They are the proposals and I am sure that businesses such as yourself will have more ideas to add to this.
I agree with you there should be someone welcoming cyclists and those that participate in ParkRun but currently there isn’t and the 40,000 residents in Abingdon also aren’t using their town centre and visitors to Oxford aren’t also coming to Abingdon.
This is why the marketing strategy is so important so that will guide what marketing initiatives are carried out and state how best to attract people into the town.
In other BID areas they send a 12 month programme of events to all residents every year, produce a business directory profiling the towns businesses and send to all businesses and residents and place in static locations such as hotels and hairdressers, they advertise on the radio, through social media etc.
The marketing strategy in Lichfield told us that residents don’t want to commute to Birmingham Christmas market which runs for the whole of December and would support a magical Christmas closer to home. So they are gearing up for Christmas and the BID will compliment their current Christmas events with the addition of:
Free parking
Family friendly attractions
Brand new christmas lights throughout the whole BID area / town
Christmas lights switch on
A sparkling Christmas parade
New high street Childrens grotto
60 snow topped chalets selling Christmas fayre
Victorian market
The guaranteed magic of white christmas with artificial snow falling in the town centre
Father Christmas, reindeer and a land train for children
Ice skating rink
Bridge the gap between day and evening economy and ensure events flow through to the evening
If you would like to discuss the BID please call me on t 07527 016 338 / email Michelle@Abingdon.bid
Rachel – I completely agree with you that free WIFI isn’t the panacea to increasing footfall or raising the profile of Abingdon and its businesses.
That was just one of the 27 projects within the BID Business Plan and an example project of how the BID levy contribution could be cost-neutral to businesses.
As you said the town centre is increasingly becoming a social space and the WIFI for visitors would promote events and businesses as well as provide them with the service that does accompany cafe culture.
That was just one of the 27 projects within the BID Business Plan and an example project of how the BID levy contribution could be cost-neutral to businesses so they could have an instant return.
Other BID projects include:
Cohesive marketing strategy and brand for Abingdon
Enhanced digital and print marketing
Tourism strategy and Visit England
Promote Independents and create a ‘Uniquely Abingdon brand
Attract new quality businesses
Welcome to Abingdon signage
Coach driver incentives and ‘Meet and Greet’ for coach parties
Special Offers Scheme
Magical Christmas
Abingdon Food Festival and enhance the town’s foodie reputation
Eye-catching markets
Style, taste, culture and miscue events
Restaurant Week
A town with investment
Free parking offers and better parking promotion
Card payment and pay by phone parking
Free WIFI for businesses, shoppers and visitors
Boost our streets and enhance our cafe culture
Investment and sponsorship
Cycling incentives
Town Centre / BID Manager
A range of new incentives for businesses to open in the town including pop-up shops
Footfall counters throughout the town
Making buying together easier / collective purchasing for training, recycling etc
Superfast business broadband
Enhance business networking
They are the proposals and I am sure that businesses such as yourself will have more ideas to add to this.
I agree with you there should be someone welcoming cyclists and those that participate in ParkRun but currently there isn’t and the 40,000 residents in Abingdon also aren’t using their town centre and visitors to Oxford aren’t also coming to Abingdon.
This is why the marketing strategy is so important so that will guide what marketing initiatives are carried out and state how best to attract people into the town.
In other BID areas they send a 12 month programme of events to all residents every year, produce a business directory profiling the towns businesses and send to all businesses and residents and place in static locations such as hotels and hairdressers, they advertise on the radio, through social media etc.
The marketing strategy in Lichfield told us that residents don’t want to commute to Birmingham Christmas market which runs for the whole of December and would support a magical Christmas closer to home. So they are gearing up for Christmas and the BID will compliment their current Christmas events with the addition of:
Free parking
Family friendly attractions
Brand new christmas lights throughout the whole BID area / town
Christmas lights switch on
A sparkling Christmas parade
New high street Childrens grotto
60 snow topped chalets selling Christmas fayre
Victorian market
The guaranteed magic of white christmas with artificial snow falling in the town centre
Father Christmas, reindeer and a land train for children
Ice skating rink
Bridge the gap between day and evening economy and ensure events flow through to the evening
If you would like to discuss the BID please call me on t 07527 016 338 / email Michelle@Abingdon.bid
Looking at the above negativity, I can see why Abingdon is slumbering so far behind the likes of Witney, Didcot, etc.
The councils have failed to do anything meaningful to increase the attraction of Abingdon, while other towns seized opportunities to better themselves, mixing private and public funds to make the centres a destination, something in which to take pride, spend time, enjoy.
There is a massive problem in Abingdon which the BID appears to be trying to help but is Abingdon able to help itself or hell bent on it’s demise?
Do we trust the councils to make Abingdon successful? Their collective track record has been poor in this regard and something has to be done.
The big question is should Abingon vote No for the BID, what is the alternative rescue plan? More of the same, a plan that is not working over many years, cannot be the answer.