Worcester city centre body wants shop's support for five more years

Worcester Business Improvement District (BID), the body representing retailers, has completed a wide ranging survey aimed to pulling more people in.

A new blueprint for Worcester, which will be enacted if the BID wins a crucial ballot in November, includes:

- Hanging baskets being placed around the city to make it look more attractive

- A special event to celebrate Worcester's fashion, health and wellbeing offer

- The use of new technology like Twitter to market city shops to a wider audience

- Fresh efforts to try and bring down nagging business overheads Worcester BID says the aims are the "most feasible" that could be achieved, and now form part of a business plan for all the shops to vote on.

A 28-day postal ballot launches on Thursday, October 30 and the BID will carry on if over 50 per cent of businesses agree to the proposals.

If it gets enough support the BID, which launched in 2010 for an initial five years, will carry on until at least 2020 working on conjunction with the likes of Worcester City Council.

Adrian Field, head of Worcester BID, said: "The quality of the feedback from the consultation exercises with the BID businesses has been excellent and so we have some great new projects as well as some more established schemes.

"The BID is run by businesses, for businesses and so firms need to vote yes to see these vital projects come to fruition."

Shops around the city already part of the BID have welcomed the plans.

David Lloyd Rumens, who runs Sub Studio Photography in Copenhagen Street said: "We've got to know the BID well and they've been outstanding for us.

"Events like 'Chocolate Day' went really well, a lot of the things they've done have helped trade and bring people in.

"We are quite close to the High Street and rely on a lot of walk-in business as well as people who find us on the internet, and the support has been great."

More details are available at www.worcesterbid.com/bid2.