Businesses and organisations in Horsham Town Centre have made their voices heard and have voted in favour of taking more control over their futures by setting up a Business Improvement District (BID).
Ballot results released by the independent scrutineer, Civica Election Services, revealed that 77% of all those who voted are in favour of the BID progressing. For the BID to be successful, a second trigger ‘majority by rateable value’ was also required and this was achieved with 53% of those who voted.
It is anticipated that the BID will commence from April 2024 for a five-year term and will be financed through a BID levy, the proceeds of which will be invested into the town centre and on the additional projects that businesses have identified and as set out in the Horsham Business Plan.
Over the five years of the BID some £1.5M will be generated to be spent in the BID area.
India De Silva Jeffries, Chair of the BID Task Group and local business owner, said:
“This a fantastic result for all involved and allows Horsham to improve still further over the next 5 years through the proposals detailed in our plan. I would like to thank all involved for their time and support in making a real difference to Horsham’s future.”
Rachel Noel, BID Project Manager added:
“I am obviously delighted with the result and thank all the businesses who have shared their thoughts and ideas with me and the BID Task Group on how to make Horsham an even better business environment. The real work starts now in delivering the new initiatives and the team aim to get started immediately in forming the new BID company and adding in the extra value to our town.”