The schemes must be voted on before introduction, but some say councils can in effect force local employers to fund them
• ‘It’s torn the town apart’: seaside shops rebel over Bid
As councils tighten their purse strings and strip services back to the basics amid a worsening local authority financial crisis, it is things such as flowerbeds, street cleaning, events and signs that go on the budget chopping block first.
That’s where Business Improvement Districts (Bids) step in – schemes funded by a levy on local companies on top of their business rates, with the money going to a private, not-for-profit company designed to help boost the attractiveness of the area.
