Business Improvement District plan for Newtown

Oswestry and Shrewsbury have already become BID towns in a scheme which sees businesses pay an additional tax in order to fund projects, and now Newtown plans to join them.

A company in Powys, Revive and Thrive, which works to provide services in town centres, has been awarded the contract to deliver the scheme in Newtown and Brecon.

Over the coming months the company will be working with businesses in both towns to assess the feasibility of turning them into BIDs, before potentially taking them to a ballot next autumn.

Iain McIntosh, businessman and member of Brecon Chamber of Trade and Tourism, said: “I’m very pleased that Revive and Thrive has been chosen to help deliver a Business Improvement District (BID) scheme to Brecon and Newtown.

“A lot of work will be carried out over the coming months informing businesses in both areas about the benefits that BIDs can bring.

Regenerate

“BID schemes have been around for a few decades in other countries and more recently they have been introduced to dozens of other towns across the UK, helping businesses and local authorities work together to regenerate town centres, increase tourism and improve business sustainability.

“As a local businessman I look forward to working hard with Revive and Thrive.”

The first part of the BID process will be a feasibility study, which will begin imminently, with the company visiting businesses in both areas to discuss the BID and how it can help them both individually and as part of the community that they trade in.

Matt Powell, Revive and Thrive director and project lead for the BID developments, added: “Over the last five years, Revive and Thrive has developed and worked with BIDs across England and Wales but we are thrilled to be working on two new BID projects in our business’s home county.

“Newtown and Brecon will both benefit over the next year and beyond from the team’s experience of working nationwide and of the promotion that they will receive via our magazine, social media reach and our regional and national events.”