Ipswich BID going from strength to strength

9.17.00pm GMT Thu 29th Nov 2007

Cllr. Richard Atkins talking to a trader in Ipswich Market

Ipswich Business Improvement District (BID) introduced by Lib Dem Cllr. Richard Atkins, is going from strength to strength. Six months after its launch independent auditors have given it a clean bill of health. It is also the only BID in the country that had invited independent scrutiny.

The auditors rated the BID in five areas: Security 16 (out of 20), Look and feel 15, cleanliness, 13, branding, 13 additional shoppers 10.

Overall the BID gets 13 out of 20 in it's first 6 months of work. Some of the BID's real and lasting progress is scheduled over its 5 year span, so these early signs are very positive.

Some of the initiatives the BID has already introduced or been supportive of:

5 Street Rangers, Radiolink service, Exclusion Orders ("banned from one, banned from all"), a new map, customer service training, litter picking and graffiti removal, website and parking promotions.