Only a few days to go now. Town centre businesses are voting on whether to become a BID (Business Improvement District) for the next five years. The Yes Campaign has put out banners,
and window displays.
All businesses should have received a voting paper, and they need to be sent to Electoral Services by 5pm on Thursday, 29 October 2015 in order to count. The result will be announced on Thursday.
The Yes campaign’s presentations can be seen at abingdon.bid.
Tim hat on ! This has to be the most un democratic election process ever held in this country ! only one side ( the for) are sponsored/funded/supported by government to run a for campaign while those traders against it are left to their own, singular and unfounded devices, dictatorship or what ?
Can anybody explain, preferably impartially, exactly what the BID is and what it’s aims are? I’ve looked on the website which is quite jargon-filled, and I’m none the wiser. What can it offer the Abingdon man/woman in the street? This is a genuine question, not an attempt at antagonism.
The VOTE NO campaign is picking up nicely. Our campaign has not cost around £70,000 of your money, no, so far our campaign has cost us businesses just £18.
We have not produced a glossy booklet of lies, sorry meant business plan. We have not spent loads of money on window stickers, we have not spent money on banners. NO, we rely on the facts, and we believe that common sense will prevail.
On the other hand, if we see a yes vote next week, we wish the bid group the best of luck trying to produce ALL of the projects which have been PROMISED.
Hundreds of business improvements districts in England (200 I think), all forward thinking towns and cities are developing them and fantastic that Abingdon could be the first town in Oxfordshire to develop one.
Abingdon is quiet, low footfall, not a destination town and businesses are struggling to stay open. Open your eyes, businesses are closing all around us and our customers are going to Didcot, Wantage etc.
Im so glad we have the opportunity to do something about this. Anyone can sit back and complain but isn’t it wonderful that we can do something about it!
VOTE YES
Interesting use of statistics – where has the figure of £70,000 come from? Fact?
Of course, we mustn’t forget that Abingdon is unique: a process that has been used successfully by a couple of hundred towns/cities around the UK must, if used in Abingdon, be somehow corrupt, underhand, undemocratic etc. Also people who a year or so ago repeatedly said “this should be left to businesses to run” don’t seem to like it when a group of businesses get together and do just that. Funny old world, eh?
As Captain K has frequently pointed out I am not (any more) a business person so don’t have a vote in this, but I have nothing but admiration for people – not just the BID team, but lots of others, who put their heart and soul and enormous amounts of their personal time into trying to make this town a vibrant place, rather than sniping from the sidelines about what others should or shouldn’t do.
There’s an article in the Oxford Mail about Witney and some (more) quality shops. Is anyone speaking to “Witney”? You don’t even gave to spend any money on doing so, other than a pot of tea or a pint?
Just for my own piece of mind – even though it has nothing to do with me what so ever, is there, categorically, absolutely, and definitely nothing at all, in anyway what so ever, anything less than totally positive about a BID?
As per usual Hester you’re viewing the situation from your slightly distorted rose coloured, let’s be lovey, glasses, if you really want to do something positive for Abingdon then try focusing on the real issues, the reasons folk no longer come into town! The traffic system is defunct, there are no anchor stores, the pavements are filthy,, th parking is disjointed with ore emphasis given to taxi ranks than ‘POP in’ parking, we have the longest river front on the county and make no use of it, we have thousands of river visitors each season, but fail to prospect them, I could fill this blog with stuff we should be doing, but won’t because it’s the same old faces with the same lack of vision who think a stall on the market place run by the cat protection league will bring people in, jump in your car and go look at Henly, Marlow or Stratford and just see how a market town can be vibrant and successful?
And if you still don’t understand why the no campaign has no faith in you and your posse ask yourself why the three councils withdrew their funding for the choose Abingdon partnership ? Why the loyalty card failed? Why the Mary portas presentation for town funding failed? Why the town council has cut its funding to the extravagansa by 50%?
In principal a BID could work well in Abingdon, but it’s district should be focused on the town centre, not taxing a hairdresser at the end of the Vineyard or the Anchor that doesn’t open midweek lunchtimes its self employed bod working from his bedroom, but most of all the BID team needs to be one of vision and innovation and I’m afraid Hester it’s the same old same old !
Steve – your comments are so dull.
Anyone who does something you dont like are ‘the usual suspects’. The team running the bid are a motivated group of local business people, most of whom have not been involved in previous local initiatives as far as I’m aware.
Good luck BID team – it’s so impressive that you are doing something positive for the town and I sincerely hope the other businesses in town will support your initiative.
Hester – ignore this ‘man’ – you’ve done a million times more for this town than he ever has or will do. Anyone who’s met you will instantly recognise it. (I’ll now await my customary vendetta acusations but I hate his ill informed, unconstructive moaning)
The current situation in our town is dire, shops are closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesdays,
The Nationals won’t set up shop due to lack of footfall
Businesses are closing & more considering closing
Local residents are not using their local town
Individually we can’t tackle this but by working as a collective we can and will.
The Council won’t listen to 1 shopkeeper or even a few but a BID means we have a strong voice to represent businesses and a budget so we can attract customers and promote our businesses and town.
If businesses don’t vote yes what is the plan? More empty shops, dire footfall, businesses complaining.
We need to work together and we need to take action!
It’s easy to be a keyboard warrior but harder to support an initiative that over 200 other towns have successfully voted in!
VOTE YES FOR THE ABINGDON BID
Again, I know it has nothing to do with me, but what is the BID specifically going to do, from a “Making Abingdon even better” pov?
I’m sure no one, not even the captain, is against Abingdon being on the up….it is just whether the BID is the way to do it? I’m not saying it isn’t…but I’m waiting for sonethong , I don’t know what….but so far I’ve remembered free WiFi (but to help the businesses with their card costs), and a proposal (just a proposal) to open the multistory carpark more.
Neither of those are bad ideas. I’m just looking for the ‘thing’ that sorts Abingdon….I’m all ears!!
Thank you for the post, and I look forward to hearing the outcome. If yes, please, please, deliver free parking for at least 4 hours (prioritising visitors over council staff). If no, then perhaps Abingdon will continue its long history of avoiding change (e.g. the railway) which saved us from becoming Reading. Either way our town centre cannot compete with Didcot or Oxford (or even Fairacres). Instead perhaps we should encourage (subsidise?) more niche/specialist shops to make Abingdon the must visit destination for …..?
Hester, it’s not a question of sniping from the sideline, more one of witnessing a town commiting commercial suicide through lack of leadership, vision and commitment.
On whose authority do the bid proposers of Waitrose a reduction in their bid levy in return for their yes vote? Smacks of the old trade union block voting that ruined much of our industry, but being a staunch labour supporter I suppose you see no wrong in that?
Explain the logic in this please? The old stroll in shop, empty for years, a new business applied for planning to open a store there with it bringing footfall and employment to that corner, brilliant, oh no, one of the more vocal protagonists of the bid wrote to planning and lodged a formal application against the proposal, how dare they assume the mantle of being the dictator as to who, or more to the point, cannot open a shop in town!
Tell me why the dance club above Sweenys inCoxeter yard who do nothing more than teach young kids Tap and Ballet
should be taxed to support the likes of the Nursery Shop that now opens just 4 days a week? Most of the moaning Minnie’s of Abingdon never open on a Sunday, or have a late night nor even bother to open before 9.30, why should the successful go getters of the town be taxed to support the less committed ?
Have you tried to walk along Lombard or Bath street? You can’t for parked cars littering the pavement, and then there’s the taxis parked on the crossing and paving outside ASK and the bank, yesterday it took
Me 15 minutes to travel 250 meters from the iron bridge to St Helens where I abandoned my car and walked into town, at the same time it took daughter 25 minutes to travel from Waitrose to Coxeters, where in the bid proposal is anyway ion of lobbying for a traffic warden? Or to lobby against the proposal to install a park and ride at Peachcroft to Oxford? That would be catastrophic for Abingdon, it’s just the same old same old and yesterday (Saturday) was the same as every other, by 2 o’clock the town was empty, even the scouts had packed up and gone home !
If this Bid proposal had a convincing manifesto I would be more supportive, but I’m not convinced ?
I couldn’t agree more that we need some people with vision to stand up and be counted I.e actually DO something. This means joining – and playing an active role in – a business organisation, community group or charity, or council, or putting together a team to develop a particular project. None of these bodies are closed shops – all would welcome new blood and new ideas – but it does mean being willing to do the hard graft, and, sadly, being thick-skinned enough to take abuse from those who disagree with you!
I am sure the BID team would have welcomed help from a wider range of business people and been willing to add their ideas into the melting-pot – and if it goes through, there will be an opportunity for those people to stand for election to the board and do their bit then, so it is not too
late.
There are other opportunities coming up for people to get involved: hopefully we will hear soon from the TC about their plans for engaging the community in developing the
Neighbourhood Plan and there are also some ideas germinating about festivals (who was it mentioned, Henley and Marlow?) so let’s hope some of you visionaries out there will come forward – I know the “usual suspects” would be only too happy if they did!
If the BID fails for any reason perhaps Totally Locally might be something the Chamber could look at.
Towns I’ve been to that are Totally Locally have a more bottom up focus on things and it’s great to walk into a town with Love Your Independents flags on the wall of every Independent business.
Look what Tavistock did in the summer: a Fiver Fest http://www.totallylocallytavistock.co.uk/fiver-fest/fiver-fest-13-27-july/
Just to go back to the very first comment you make Steve, why do you say that “This has to be the most un democratic election process ever held in this country”? As I understand it, you have to get >50% of the ‘one-business, one-vote’ vote, and also >50% of the vote as measured by business rate payers. The Conservatives got 36.9% of the vote share and formed a majority government…
Rachel, you may be interested to know that Tavistock’s Totally Locally campaign has financial support from Tavistock BID who continue to support the iniative! It’s being backed by their BID as part of the it’s five year plan!!
Rachel – it is the Tavistock BID !
If Waitrose were not in the BID are = people moan
They are in the BID = people moan
They will be contributing £25,000 to Abingdon
Most businesses are paying £100-200 per year
To Daniel – The Abingdon BID team have put together a Business plan which can be downloaded from the BID website here: http://www.abingdon.bid – you can also see the videos of the entire launch night and a scary look in to the future of Abingdon…. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKXMuv4TRVzZ0HVWROBMO_Q
To captainkaos – You make a very good point about shops not being open all the time, some close early, some are closed for full days, many do not offer late night shopping and many don’t open on Sunday.
I wonder why that is…… Without shoppers there is no reason to remain open….
Why would any prospective business open in a town that is closing….
DID YOU KNOW Steve King, a keen supporter of Abingdon proposed a BID for Abingdon in 2010 to invest £188k to provide free parking….. I’ve read the recent Business plan and I can see a lot more opportunity than just free parking now, clear value for money. I suggest you all read the Abingdon BID business plan for the real facts and see what Businesses get for their investment now.
The BID team say it in simple terms – Your Business, Your voice, Your Town, Your BID. Good luck and for the sake of Abingdon I hope it’s a YES vote…
Food for thought….
Don’t find fault, find a remedy.
“ask yourself why the three councils withdrew their funding for the choose Abingdon partnership ?”
The County pulled its money because of its budget pressures, the same ones that have now led to the proposals to close Children’s Centres, Recycling Centres, Day Centres etc.
Not sure why the Vale pulled theirs out, you would have to ask them.
There then wasn’t really a ‘partnership’ for the Town Council to be part of anymore.
I’m a shopper (potentially). Does anyone have any plans for us?
Hi Daniel – I tried to post a link for you earlier… check out the abingdon.bid website you will be able to download the business plan and you’ll see plenty of ideas geared to helping local residents and visitors from out of town.
Thank you HenryFord; I have had a look through the BID pages again, as I have before, and having read bits and pieces elsewhere – on here for example.
There is, without doubt, a thoroughly united opinion that ‘something’ needs to be done about Abingdon…I have no idea what, but whatever it is, nothing has happened in the 11 years I have been here, sadly; despite presumably (or at least seemingly) noble efforts.
Being ‘against the BID’ is not the same as not wanting Abingdon to succeed. Having doubts about the BID is not the same as being against change. I think it is convenient to think it is the same, but a bit lazy (and believe me, when it comes to lazy….I’m an expert).
Personally, I wish the BID every success; but not because I believe in the BID…but because I am simply eager to see Abingdon succeed. From what I have read though, the BID is all about providing things for business. Great. No harm in that… One day I may have a business in Abingdon. However, from the comfort of my armchair (paid for by another business not dependant on things like ‘footfall’ or ‘parking’) I can’t actually see “what it is going to do”. It says that ‘a BID increases footfall’. It says that there’ll be ” physical improvements to the area”. And lots more positive outcomes. No one, in their right mind, would argue that these things are good…but I don’t see how they are going to happen. I dare say that a BID has bought about such changes elsewhere…again, great. But why? What is it in those places that bought the change – or was simply “having a BID” all that it required?
There is likely a little trepidation as, what is it about our BID that will bring the change? And, who is going to drive it? Are these the same people who have been involved in the towns fate for the past decade? If so….what are they going to do now they have a BID, that was different to before? Hopefully, (to my mind at least) it will be an entirely different set of people – as many believe it is the people and personalities of the past that have stalled the future. However, that said as well…one assumes that the BID team are the forward thinking successful business minds that the town needs – The Mary Portas’ of Abingdon? (But if so…where have they been for the past few years)? By golly…I hope so, for the BIDs sake….and, if we are to believe the BID, then it bodes well for us residents (albeit in an as yet, undefined way, other than simply, “it will”).
If a BID is the magic bullet…I really hope, as merely a resident, and a potential shopper, the changes the Town deserves are bought about quickly…and we’re not waiting for yet another initiative that will one day solve our issues.
I’d be even slightly reassured if it was well publicised when someone responsible for Abingdon were taking a notepad and pen, and going to meet someone responsible for Witney or Wantage to get some tips.
Good luck BID team…Abingdon’s future awaits…
It is interesting reading all the comments on here by a few, instead of the comments we are hearing here at VOTE NO HQ.
1, A majority of our group are not against all BID’s, we are worried that the information that has been given is misleading.
2, 2 of our group have been told that they are not welcome to join the BID team, this is very undemocratic
3, The councils will have to pay if there is a yes vote. Could this will mean 1 of 2 things. HIGHER COUNCIL TAX or MORE CUTS. Could this mean ( In the County Council’s instance) an extra Children’s Centre closes? Not saying it would, just asking a question.
4, We are being told that people are visiting businesses to talk about the BID, when they ask the owner/manager about it, if they say not interested or don’t want it, they are not being told to vote NO, they are being told along the line of “oh ok, don’t worry about it”. This implies that it will be optional.
5,The sums do NOT add up, any accountant can see it.
6,It has been commented on here about the Same old people against new blood. Lets look at the “BID Team”, using the business plan as a guide. Bryan Brown, Choose Abingdon Partnership chairman, Stuart Bates, Choose Abingdon & Chamber of Commerce, Jill Carver Choose Abingdon & Chamber of Commerce, Pete Saunders, Chamber of Commerce, Nick Cosford Abingdon Business Alliance, Mel Innes Choose Abingdon Partnership & Abingdon Business Aliance. These are the same people, bringing in some new blood who do not know the history behind this Town,
7, On an earlier post it is claimed that “some shops are about to close” yes this is true, it’s called increasing their rates & putting them out of business.
8, What we need in Abingdon is more people doing something. Not sitting around a table for 2 years trying to get a bid together. Or sitting around a table for 7 years for a failed loyalty card.
9, If this Bid is successful in a yes vote, Who will be on the initial board? You bet, the usual suspects doing nothing.
WE URGE ALL BUSINESSES TO VOTE NO, YOU HVAE ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT – DO IT NOW
Opinions don’t matter: impact does.
VOTE YES
FACTS
200+ BIDs in the UK
Oxford & Wantage developing BIDs 2016
95% of BIDs re-elected after their first 5-yr term
Businesses are very quiet / empty / closing
Footfall so low nationals not considering Abingdon
The BID is an opportunity for us all to do something about it
Want to be on the BID Board? Have ideas? Then get involved. No point moaning through here.
The names mentioned above have given their time voluntarily to discuss the BID and get this project off the ground. Care to give your time up?
Vote Yes.
It is interesting that VOTE NO says a number of their group are not against BIDS, as all businesses have been given the option to be part of the process. Every member of the Chamber of Commerce was invited to join the Group as was every member of the Abingdon Business Alliance.
Every business has also been invited to several open meetings to air their views and ask questions. I would therefor suggest if a business was pro BIDS surely the best solution would be to get involved and help shape its direction? If the BID is voted in then it will be the case that any levy paying business can seek to get elected the board, seems fairly democratic to me.
Some of the “new blood” you say were brought in to bolster numbers have lived in the town for a very long time or have chosen to set up business in town. The “new blood” was also involved from the initial get go and has in fact reached out to other businesses to get their involvement. The fact that some members of the group have previously been involved in business groups demonstrates a few points.
Firstly they are aware of the historical issues that have affected the town. Secondly many of the things that people like such as the extravaganza, science festival etc are organised by those same people as they seem to be the only ones willing to give up their spare time for free. Thirdly the BID initiative has brought people from the different organisations together for the common good of the town and its businesses.
You often quote that there is no need for a BID as existing groups, such as the Chamber, can do these things for free. Thus the same old faces which you seem to have an issue with, seems a little hypocritical.
The people working on the BID have worked on it for 2 years and haven’t hidden behind anonymity. They are proud of the effort they have put in and are prepared to stand up and be counted.
The reason business’s are closing is not solely due to increasing rates, the lack of people shopping in town surely has a role to play as well? If the BID could deliver an increase in footfall as well as through collective purchasing drive down business overheads as well that would be beneficial surely.
“The sums do not add up, any accountant can see that” which is interesting as one of the group is an accountant and is happy the figures do add up.
If the BID does not go ahead, I will expect to see the fruits of the hard work that VOTE NO has clearly been putting into place over the last couple of years to give the businesses an alternative plan to bring success to Abingdon.
…but what are you going to do?
Apparently, as a “new face”I don’t know anything about the history of this town and that its implied that I’m easily lead… Its clear that this town, like many others, has issues and has history. Let me tell you a little bit more history. I arrived 7 years ago and setup a business with my wife Elaine, and with long days and very hard work it has been successful and with continued hard work I hope to maintain that level of success. I’m sure many of you can relate to that, in short we have to keep working hard to get things done.
The Abingdon BID was an initiative by the Choose Abingdon Partnership and as we all know this is chaired by Bryan Brown, hence his involvement in bringing the Business plan to the town, along with Paul Holt, myself, my wife Elaine, Kevin Thomson, Richard Mackay & Pete Saunders, and over the last few months others have joined the team as named in the above posts.
I took the responsibility of chairing this group over a year ago and we have been asking for new people to join the group ever since, both at open meetings and in open letters delivered to businesses. As far as I can remember, no one has come along to meetings and been told they’re not welcome. As you will appreciate I really find it very difficult to agree that it is the same old faces running the BID, instead we have a diverse group of experienced business owners and leaders working together to develop a plan for the future of Abingdon I believe we are genuinely on the verge of something very positive about to happen to Abingdon.
It is fair to say that we will never please everyone, but everyone has had an opportunity to make their case known, to support or to be against the BID, and more importantly 28 days to vote Yes or No..
As a business owner and Chair of the Abingdon BID group I have nothing but pride in the work we have done so far, the effort that everyone involved has put in is remarkable, the hours of free time that have been given up, to not just sit around a table, but to have produced a very comprehensive business plan for the future of our Town proves that as a united team we can get things done.
Now I can only hope that the work we have done to date will not be in vain and we get a majority vote and a mandate to proceed with the introduction of a BID in April 2016. I am sure some of you will still complain, some will say it’s not fair, and if it’s a No vote then I trust the No camp will take the mantle and support the town with their plans. If it is a Yes vote, I urge every single one of you to get behind the project, after all it is our money that the newly formed BID company will be responsible for.
The results of the Ballot will be published on Friday, good luck Abingdon.
Mike Hurley
Chair Abingdon BID
Daniel, all projects and initiatives are detailed within the BID business plan on the Abingdon.bid website
Vote Yes, are you able to provide a link to specifics? I can only find ‘aspirations’ rather than details.
You don’t have to, I’m only a resident so the BID doesn’t affect me.
Daniel – I have had a look and I think the detail you want is on pages 11-17 of the BID brochure.
Thanks Hester! I’ll take a gander.
It is interesting that VOTE NO says a number of their group are not against BIDS, as all businesses have been given the option to be part of the process. Every member of the Chamber of Commerce was invited to join the Group as was every member of the Abingdon Business Alliance.
Every business has also been invited to several open meetings to air their views and ask questions. I would therefor suggest if a business was pro BIDS surely the best solution would be to get involved and help shape its direction? If the BID is voted in then it will be the case that any levy paying business can seek to get elected the board, seems fairly democratic to me.
Some of the “new blood” you say were brought in to bolster numbers have lived in the town for a very long time or have chosen to set up business in town. The “new blood” was also involved from the initial get go and has in fact reached out to other businesses to get their involvement. The fact that some members of the group have previously been involved in business groups demonstrates a few points.
Firstly they are aware of the historical issues that have affected the town. Secondly many of the things that people like such as the extravaganza, science festival etc are organised by those same people as they seem to be the only ones willing to give up their spare time for free. Thirdly the BID initiative has brought people from the different organisations together for the common good of the town and its businesses.
You often quote that there is no need for a BID as existing groups, such as the Chamber, can do these things for free. Thus the same old faces which you seem to have an issue with, seems a little hypocritical.
The people working on the BID have worked on it for 2 years and haven’t hidden behind anonymity. They are proud of the effort they have put in and are prepared to stand up and be counted.
The reason business’s are closing is not solely due to increasing rates, the lack of people shopping in town surely has a role to play as well? If the BID could deliver an increase in footfall as well as through collective purchasing drive down business overheads as well that would be beneficial surely.
“The sums do not add up, any accountant can see that” which is interesting as one of the group is an accountant and is happy the figures do add up.
If the BID does not go ahead, I will expect to see the fruits of the hard work that VOTE NO has clearly been putting into place over the last couple of years to give the businesses an alternative plan to bring success to Abingdon.