New boss at the Winchester Business Improvement District

Chris Turner, a Winchester University professor, has the task of steering the BID towards the crucial vote to decide its future in autumn 2012.

The 700 city centre businesses must decide whether to give the BID another five years. The previous vote saw a number of local businesses opposed to the idea/ Prof Turner, who will be the BID’s first executive director, is confident that businesses have seen the benefits.

He said: “I think the BID has been a phenomenal success, on Christmas lighting, graffiti, chewing gum. I think most traders have got a huge amount out of the BID.

“They need to be reminded of what the city would look like if they did not have it. We have to make sure we are doing everything we can for the 700 members.”

Prof Turner, an economist and information scientists, will work part-time and still works one day a week at the university.

Prof Turner is concerned that although the Government is promoting its localism agenda, next year it plans to reduce the amount of business rates it diverts back to Winchester, from £6 million to less than £5m.

Professor Turner has been among many positions, president of the North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and a board member of a number of other research based trusts, including Wired Wessex, NHS On-line Direct, and Rescue.

He was on the Local Strategic Partnership for both Winchester and Basingstoke and is the past Chair of the Hampshire Economic Partnership Creative and Cultural Industries Task group, and the Winchester District Strategic Partnership Cultural Consortium. He is currently chair of the Winchester Festivals Group.

BID chairman Jeremy France says that although much has been achieved, the BID still needs to do more for city businesses, especially the non-retail businesses.

“After three years of the BID’s activity, the city is cleaner, safer and more attractive, with successful Pubwatch and Shopwatch schemes and new events underway and footfall increasing. The BID team have achieved a great deal in the last three years and all credit should be given to them for their efforts.”

Mr France said BID needed to engage with businesses and not just shops. “The issues affecting Winchester businesses needs to be better tackled through increased business participation resulting in a more powerful strategic influencing voice.”

Ken Mcartney is also a member of the BID Board and a Winchester retailer. He said: “We have managed the budgets well and by making some efficiency savings now, we are able to fund this new post for the next two years. We hope that this new approach will not only bring even more benefits to Winchester businesses but will also increase our chances of securing a successful second ballot in two years time to renew the Business Improvement District for Winchester.”