18th May 2012
Come Around To Our Town - Bedford
13th Sep 2005
A national first for Bedford will be launched on Friday September 23rd when the plans of the Business Improvement District (BID) project become a reality.
Discounting parking and £1,000 in shopping prizes will be on offer - together with a warm welcome from the newly appointed Bluecap guides.
Under the BedfordBID scheme businesses in the town voted to pay an extra levy - above and beyond business taxes - to fund their own improvements. Together they will create a pot of £450,000 a year - and the first signs of how that money will spent will be seen on September 29th
*The BedfordBID has subsidised the cost of parking in the town to just £1 from 10.30am to 4.30pm on every Friday between September 23rd and Christmas.
*The BedfordBID has financed a major promotional and advertising campaign with billboards, bus sides and £1,000 shopping prize promoted by Chiltern 96.6 FM Radio and local newspapers.
*The BedfordBID has paid for a team of Bluecaps who will be on the streets every shopping day from September 23rd onwards meeting and greeting visitors and advising them of how to make the most of their trip to Bedford. The BedfordBID has also financed the cost of one of two extra community support officers dedicated to the Town Centre.
“People coming into the town shopping already enjoy improvements such as the new all-year markets and special events like the Victorian fayre in December which were encouraged by the Town Centre Company. From there the TCC went on to win BID status for Bedford - the only county town in the country to succeed in such a BID,” explains Mo Aswat of BedfordBID,
“Now businesses are investing their own money into making Bedford a better place to visit - we want the people of Bedford to show their appreciation “Come Around to Bedford” as our slogan says.
“There are many incentives on Friday September 23rd - not least the £1,000 being given away in a shoppers’ promotion and the discounted parking every Friday between now and Christmas
“But we want people to come shopping the rest of the week too - and look out for the Bluecaps - they are here to make people feel welcome and feel safer when shopping in Bedford.
“We want people to think about shopping at Bedford first - not Milton Keynes. We have a greater variety of small, independent shops and it’s a prettier setting. The newly refurbished car parks and speciality markets also make Bedford a better place to visit.”
For more information go to: http://www.bedfordtowncentre.co.uk
*Discount Friday car parks from September - River Street, Lurke Street and Allhallows multi-storeys. From October Queen Street. All from 10.30 am - 4.30 pm.
Note to Editors: interviews and photo calls with
Bluecaps can be arranged in advance of September 23rd
or
Businesses talking about why they backed the BID
For further information:
jmanners@mannerspr.co.uk
Contact Jacquie Manners Tel 017971 216014
