Economic Development Zone Business Improvement District

Renewal Ballot Prospectus 2017-2022
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Making Improvements to Blackburn's Greenbank, Furthergate and Whitebirk Business Parks.
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Improving the appearance of the area and updating the signage.
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Aims of EDZ BID

To establish a Business Improvement District (BID) for the area, paying an annual contribution to fund additional security and improve the local environment for the benefit of businesses, employees and visitors alike.

Prior to the BID installing CCTV in 2007, the area was subject to significant levels of criminal activity.

Since the introduction of the BID, reported crime has reduced dramatically in the area – from 201 reported crimes in 2006/7 to just 63 in 2015/16.

The new proposal highlights our key achievements over the last ten years and sets out plans for 2017-22, drawn up in consultation with resident businesses.

Security

The BID’s co-ordinated approach to tackling crime has continued to help reduce reported crime.

The figures below clearly show that the levels of reported crime and Anti Social Behaviour are falling within the Business Improvement District when compared against the rest of Blackburn with Darwen:

	All crime	ASB	Acquisitive crime
All Blackburn	+13%	+3%	+3%
EDZ BID area	-10%	-2%	-23%

- percentage change in reported crime 2015/16 -2016/17

"within the EDZ BID area ... there has been a consistent and substantial reduction in crime year on year since 2006. The increased security and specifically CCTV and ANPR cameras have undoubtedly contributed to this reduction.” Mohammed khan (Inspector, Lancashire Constabulary, Eastern Division)

Your Vote Counts!

We have driven down costs and overheads, where possible, to keep the BID levy to a minimum, but unfortunately we are having to ask for the first increase in the BID Levy for 10 years.

The Blackburn EDZ Business Improvement District has operated successfully for the last 10 years, providing effective services to your business.

Every 5 years businesses in the BID area are asked to vote on its continuation and so in July you will be asked to vote once more.

The BID’s continuation requires a majority vote, so your vote is important to your business’s needs.

See below for further details.

Your vote is important if this service is to continue.

If you wish to know more please go to the BID Prospectus page or contact the team at info@blackburnedzbid.co.uk

If you vote YES to continue EDZ BID for a further 5 years

Your business will continue to be supported by the BID’s CCTV and ANPR cameras which have seen crime reduced in the BID area by 66% from its peak in 2007/8. In contrast crime across Blackburn with Darwen has remained consistently high over the same period.
The BID team have managed both the maintenance and provision of your CCTV system, including the move last year to a state of the art 24/7 monitoring and recording facility in central Blackburn.
Your business will continue to benefit from the work done by BID wardens. Their role is to maintain and undertake environmental improvements. They respond to fly tipping and pick up on average 30 bags of litter every week from our streets. This is litter that wouldn’t be collected by the council.
Your business will be able to concentrate on what you do best, leaving issues of ant-social behaviour, crime, criminal damage, litter and signage repair and maintenance to the BID team.
BID offers you a voice to share concerns and develop actions to problems in your neighbourhood.

If you vote NO the BID will cease to operate.

Without the funds your membership provides there will be no provision for the upkeep and maintenance of the CCTV system. Without it crime is likely to rise to the levels suffered before the BID was established; a threefold increase.
24 hour CCTV surveillance will end and the BID’s CCTV cameras will be decommissioned and removed.
The work of the wardens will stop. They respond to Fly Tipping and collect an average of 120 bags of loose litter a month which will not otherwise be collected and will remain on our streets.
Issues such as fly tipping, anti-social behaviour and graffiti will have to be managed at your time and cost.
Without signage and landscape maintenance, the district will soon suffer from a decline in image.

We hope you recognise the significant improvements made in the BID area over the last 10 years.

IF THIS IS TO CONTINUE WE NEED YOUR YES VOTE

Click here to find out more EDZ BID Prospectus and Flyer

Blackburn EDZ BID

Keeping the Area Clean and Tidy

The key challenge the wardens face is keeping the area free from litter in order to maintain the positive image of the area. On average the wardens remove 120 sacks of litter from the area each month. The wardens also ensure a quick response to fly tipping, working with the local authority’s environmental waste enforcement officers and CCTV monitoring staff to secure prosecutions, and remove waste quickly.