Winchester businesses urge support in vote over future of BID (From Hampshire Chronicle)
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Winchester businesses urge support in vote over future of BID
12:51pm Monday 8th October 2012 in News
Traders show support for BID renewal (from Left to right: Tony Mawson from Mawson & Company, Mandy Macartney from Pavilion and Graham Compton-Price from Jones the Bootmaker).
Winchester city centre businesses are currently voting in the crucial vote that will determine the future of the Winchester Business Improvement District (BID).
Some 824 letters have been posted out by Winchester City Council to BID members since the poll opened on September 27. The close of poll is October 25 at 5pm.
Local businesses are encouraging other businesses to take part and vote to secure another five years’ worth of funding for the city.
Mandy Macartney, owner of Pavilion, on The Square, said: “Once you have experienced how the BID can work, you wouldn’t want to run a city any other way. The BID has been an excellent way for businesses to help promote and shape the future of the city.
“Ultimately, Winchester has grown at a time when many cities have been in decline and, although it has been hard work, there have been many rewarding outcomes. It would be a real shame if businesses didn’t vote,” she said.
Winchester BID has been in operation since April 2008 and has delivered several projects including better cleaning, crime reduction, marketing and waste management.
Tony Mawson, owner of Mawson and Company, added: “Having been a business in Winchester for the past 18 years, I can see the transformation the BID has created in the city centre. The streets are cleaner and more attractive, we have more police presence, but most importantly the businesses talk more to one another and create a larger voice for representation through the BID. For these reasons, and many more, I’m backing the BID.”
The results will be announced on October 26.
