Barrow BID Company Limited 2nd Term Proposal Business Plan (1/09/2021 - 31/08/2026) Version 2
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Barrow BID Company Limited
2nd Term Proposal Business Plan
(1/09/2021 – 31/08/2026)
Version 2
BBID TERM2 PROPOSAL BUSINESS PLAN V2 | 19/02/21 | CG | DRAFT FOR CONSULTATION
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Contents Page no.
1. Executive Summary 3-6
a. What is a Business Improvement District?
b. Why do we need a BID in Barrow town centre?
Forewords by Paul Hodgson (Chair) & Colin Garnett (Manager)
c. Who will be in the Barrow BID area?
d. What will Barrow BID do over the next five years?
e. How will a Barrow BID work?
f. What are the benefits of having a BID in Barrow town centre?
g. How much will it cost each business in the BID area?
h. Who decides whether Barrow town centre has a BID for a 2 nd term?
2. The Impact & Achievements of Barrow BID (2016-2021) 6 - 15
a. Objective 1
b. Objective 2
c. Objective 3
d. Objective 4
e. Objective 5
f. Objective 6 (COVID support)
3. Consultation - What have businesses said about Barrow BID? 15 - 23
a. How has Barrow BID delivered on your priorities?
b. How will Barrow BID tackle your priorities during a 2nd term?
4. The Barrow BID Area 24 - 25
5. Town Centre Vision 25 - 27
6. Barrow BID 2nd Term Aims & Objectives 28 - 41
a. Main objectives
b. Programme delivery
c. Project plan
d. Objective one (detailed)
e. Objective two (detailed)
f. Objective three (detailed)
g. Objective four (detailed)
7. Financial Plan 41 - 44
a. Income
b. Other income
c. Money brought forward
d. Expenses
e. Cost to each business
8. Management of Barrow BID 44 - 46
a. Barrow BID proposer
b. Barrow BID management
c. Performance, monitoring and evaluation
9. BID Levy Rules & Management 46 - 48
a. Eligibility to vote
b. Who pays?
c. Exemptions & reductions
d. How long will it last?
e. How will funds be collected?
f. Who will be accountable for Barrow BID funds?
g. Alteration policy
10. Barrow BID Ballot Timetable 48
11. What will happen if Barrow BID does NOT continue? 48 - 50
12. Contact information 50
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1. Executive summary
a. What is a Business Improvement District (BID)?
Business Improvement Districts are business led partnerships which are created through a ballot
process to deliver additional services to local businesses.
They can be a powerful tool for directly involving local businesses in local activities and allow the
business community, and local authorities to work together to improve the local trading environment.
A Business Improvement District is a defined area in which a levy is charged on all business rate payers
in addition to the business rates bill. This levy is used to develop projects which will benefit businesses
in the local area.
There is no limit on what projects or services can be provided through a Business Improvement District.
The only requirement is that they are in addition to those provided by local authorities (District &
County Council) and a priority to the businesses within the BID area.
The Barrow Borough Council baseline services can be found in Appendix 2 of this business plan entitled
Barrow Borough Council Baseline Services and the County Council baseline services can be found in
Appendix 3 of the business plan entitled Cumbria County Council Baseline Services.
b. Why do we need a BID in Barrow town centre?
BID Chairman Statement | Creating a town centre where you would want to spend time
Business Improvement Districts (BID’s) are business-led initiatives. We are essentially a group of
businesses working together for the benefit of businesses by delivering projects and initiatives to
improve OUR Town Centre. The world we live in has changed a lot in the last 12 months, which has, in
turn, had a massive impact on our Town Centre, making the BIDs role more crucial than ever to ensure
that we, as a business collective, can adapt and plan for a sustainable future where businesses can
prosper.
Barrow BID is led by a team of Directors, all of who, like myself are business owners or managers within
the Town Centre, meaning we all have first-hand experience of the challenges the town is facing and are
the best placed to overcome them. As a BID, we have delivered a wealth of projects over our first 5 year
term. This includes some large scale events, of which, Barrow has never seen before; like the Super
Soapbox Challenge and the Festival of Transport. These will continue to grow over the next 5 years and
will help with our ambition to turn Barrow into a destination town. We have also provided countless
businesses and community groups with financial support for their own events, or carry out
improvements to their businesses. These are just a few of the many highlights and initiatives we have
delivered.
Having lived in the Barrow area all my life, I want our Town Centre to thrive. I am a firm believer that
our Town Centre still has a place as the hub of our community. It is unlikely this will be just retail lead
anymore, but more a mixture of hospitality, restaurants, leisure, services mixed in amongst the
traditional independent and national retail. This will be coupled with more people living within the
Town Centre, creating a real community feel to the area, a place where you would want to spend time,
to arrange to meet a friend for coffee mid-afternoon or sit outside with a glass of wine in your hand on
a warm summer's evening.
The renewal of Barrow BID is not just about more of the same though, it’s about growing, regenerating
and revitalising the Town Centre so that it is fit for the future. We will strive to continue to listen to our
levy-paying businesses, so that we, as a collective can shape our own futures, and the future of the town
where we live.
Paul Hodgson (BID Chairman)
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BID Manager Statement | Making a town centre we can be proud of
Town and city centres across the UK are changing, as shopping habits move towards the increased
convenience of out-of-town retail parks and internet shopping. Competition in the retail sector has
never been greater and it has seen the high street lose some of its most well known and loved brands.
In the past two years Barrow has lost River Island, Topshop, Carphone Warehouse, Thornton’s and our
M&S which had been a mainstay of Barrow’s high street for over 100 years. The days of Barrow town
centre attracting shoppers to a wealth of high street brands has gone and the trend seems unlikely to
change with Debenhams the latest high street store to close in 2021.
Barrow BID are not going to reverse the national trend that is seeing high street brands fall into
administration and close their doors, however, now is the time when Barrow town centre needs
reinventing. It is vital that Barrow has a business improvement district to regenerate, revitalise and
transform Barrow town centre into a town for future generations. We must safeguard the businesses
located in the town centre, improve the perception of the town as a destination, increase footfall and
improve the visitor offer through a series of events, initiatives and projects.
In March 2020 the COVID pandemic hit the UK economy hard and has accelerated some of the issues
affecting bricks and mortar businesses. In the past 12 months we have seen more high street businesses
switching to online sales only and cafes, restaurants and independent businesses adapting to the
situation by increasing click and collect and delivery services. Barrow BID will be required more than
ever to assist businesses to bounce back following the economic effects of the COVID pandemic and we
will be tasked with promoting the town as a safe and welcoming destination to visit.
As a proud Barrovian I want to work with local businesses to create a town centre which will be fit for
purpose for future generations; becoming a hub for social interaction, shopping, food, drink, leisure,
working, living and playing. We have an opportunity to transform the town and make it into a town
centre we can be proud to call our own. I am excited at the prospect of bringing large scale, quality
events to Barrow and making the town a family friendly destination.
Without Barrow BID, who will shoulder responsibility to promote the town, support the businesses,
lobby the local authorities and the government, deliver on projects and promises and be passionate
about making Barrow town centre Busier, Brighter and Better?
Colin Garnett (BID Manager)
c. Who will be in the Barrow BID area?
All non-domestic ratepayers in properties located within the Barrow town centre area, as defined by
the map of the BID area, with the exception of those with a Rateable Value of less than £4,000.
d. What will Barrow BID do over the next five years?
Barrow BID will deliver on 4 objectives, these being:
1. Create a Busier Barrow
To market and promote Barrow town centre as a destination for local residents and visitors offering
a distinctive choice of retail, hospitality, leisure & entertainment. Improve parking, movement and
lessen the barriers to access the town centre. Utilise technology to increase footfall and safeguard
existing businesses.
2. Create a Brighter Barrow
To improve the visual aspect and environment of the town centre to create a positive impression
and make the town more attractive for visitors to encourage them to return. Focus on improving
the aesthetics of the town across the senses to create a location people want to visit and spend
their time.
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3. Create a Better Barrow
To improve the offer of the town centre and provide more reasons to visit. Transforming the town
from a reliance on high street shopping to a mix of shopping, hospitality, living, working and
playing. Increasing pride in the town centre via a programme of events and initiatives which will
revitalise the town for future generations and attract a range of businesses and organisations to
locate into the town centre.
4. Help businesses to Bounce Back following the COVID pandemic
To respond to the effects of the COVID pandemic and provide local businesses with the resources
to survive, adapt and grow. To promote using ‘local’ businesses and supporting ‘your’ town.
e. How will a Barrow BID work?
This will be a five year programme of investment in activities to revitalise Barrow town centre, with
funds drawn mostly from the BID Levy, collected on behalf of all the businesses involved by Barrow
Borough Council as billing authority and collection agency.
Subject to a successful vote, Barrow BID will be managed by the Barrow BID Company not-for-profit
limited by guarantee, with its own ring-fenced accounts, and with membership open to nomination and
election from all businesses, organisations and individuals contributing through the BID levy. This will
ensure that the control, delivery and responsibility for the BID sits firmly with the town centre
businesses. The Barrow BID Board of Directors will manage a member of staff (BID Manager) to deliver
a range of events, initiatives and projects with the purpose of meeting the aims and objectives as set
out in this business plan.
f. What are the benefits of having a BID in Barrow town centre?
It is envisioned the headline benefits should come from over 450 businesses being able to coherently
work towards a common vision for the town centre, delivering new confidence and projecting a
positive image of Barrow as a place to live, work and visit.
Other benefits include:
● A voice for businesses
A BID provides a forum for local businesses to be heard.
● Business support & information
Information for local businesses can be collated and centralised using the Barrow BID website and
social media platforms. This has been useful during the COVID pandemic when businesses were
seeking up to date information from the Government and local authority.
● Economies of Scale
Barrow BID has more purchasing power than a single business in the town and can negotiate lower
prices on bulk items, i.e. COVID floor stickers
● Promotional Campaigns
There is almost no evidence of other organisations, other than Barrow BID that have a plan to
promote Barrow town centre as a destination for local people and visitors. Businesses within the
BID area can make the most of promotional campaigns using the BIDs social media platforms and
can take advantage of discounts with local and regional media companies.
● Events
Town centre events can be a boost to the local economy, attracting footfall and supporting specific
sectors throughout the town.
● Ownership
A BID’s board is made up of representatives from local businesses and organisations from the BID
area, meaning YOU have ownership of the BID. Local business managers and owners are making
decisions that will improve the town and the board is open to all BID levy payers.
● Promoting positivity
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Barrow BID promotes positivity and wishes to change the perception of the town. All press releases
and publicity material promote the town in a positive manner.
● Fights for you
Barrow BID has publicly stated that business rates are too high and that high street businesses are
being let down by unfair taxation. We also believe that Barrow town centre has been ignored for
too long and small businesses don’t get the support and recognition they deserve. Having a BID
provides businesses with a group that fights for you.
● Inward Investment
A BID will actively seek to bring further investment into the town centre from private, local
authority and Government sources. Barrow BID has had representation on the Town Deal and
Future High Street programme boards and has ‘match funded’ the Heritage Action Zone securing
essential financial resources for Barrow town centre.
● Christmas
The busiest period for retail is boosted by a coordinated approach providing free parking days, new
Christmas lights, entertainment and an enhanced festive atmosphere.
● Promoting the town as a visitor destination
Barrow BID has been at the forefront of promoting Barrow as a tourist destination with a focus on
the town centre as a hub for staying, shopping, food and drink. Without a BID, who would have
created the ‘Visit Barrow’ brand and promoted the natural beauty and USPs on offer across
Barrow?
g. How much will it cost each business in the BID area?
A 1.5% (one and a half percent) levy will be charged to each qualifying ratepayer using the most current
Non-Domestic Ratings list, used to calculate the payable amount. The BID levy will be set by 1st
September each year based on the most current Non-Domestic Ratings list.
For two thirds (66%) of businesses in the Barrow BID area the BID Levy will be less than £260 per year,
that’s equivalent to less than £5 per week. Over a quarter (28%) will be asked to pay a levy equivalent
to less than £2 per week.
h. Who decides whether Barrow town centre has a BID for a 2 nd term?
Barrow BID includes a large number of business ratepayers eligible to vote for each of the 469
hereditaments with a Rateable Value of £4,000 and above. Each will be invited to vote on whether or
not to establish a Business Improvement District in Barrow town centre. The ballot will be held in June
2021 and, for the proposal to be approved, two tests must be met:
● A simple majority (more than 50%) of those voting in the ballot must be in favour;
● Those voting in favour must represent a majority (more than 50%) by aggregate rateable value of
the hereditaments (or rateable properties) of those voting.
2. Barrow BID 1st Term Achievements 2016 – 2021
In 2016 we produced a business plan based on the needs and priorities of town centre businesses which
highlighted five key objectives, these were:
1. To market and promote Barrow as a sub-regional service centre and shopping destination offering
distinctive choice of shops, festivals & events, as well as some of the best entertainment, leisure
and recreation in the region.
2. To make access to Barrow town centre easier and more attractive for residents, visitors and
workers throughout the day.
3. To take pride in Barrow, filling empty units with new or expanding businesses and growing the
town’s offer.
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4. To establish Barrow town centre’s evening and night-time economy as a welcoming, safe
environment for people of all ages to enjoy food, drink & entertainment.
5. To build, through the BID, an effective partnership between the town’s businesses, organisations
and local authorities for the benefit of Barrow’s businesses and wider community.
As we come to the end of our 1st term, we look at our impact and achievements against the key objectives,
and also highlight how priorities may have changed.
a. Objective 1
To market and promote Barrow as a sub-regional service centre and shopping destination offering
distinctive choice of shops, festivals & events, as well as some of the best entertainment, leisure and
recreation in the region.
Marketing & Promotion
● Local and regional media has been used to promote Barrow as a shopping destination with adverts
published in the Evening Mail, Local Choice Magazine, In-Cumbria and the Westmorland Gazette.
● A promotional campaign with Cando FM, Barrow’s community radio station, has enabled us to get
our message out to local people. We have used this medium to promote initiatives, events, shop
local schemes and support throughout the COVID pandemic. The community radio is also always
keen to interview BID board members, town centre business owners and their customers.
● In 2018 Barrow BID established the ‘Visit Barrow’ brand to promote Barrow-in-Furness as a
destination town to day-visitors and tourists. The brand was created on the back of Barrow hosting
a stage start of the Tour of Britain Cycling Event.
● At the start of 2019, Barrow BID produced a Visit Barrow tourism leaflet which had a print and
distribution run of 12,000 copies. The leaflet was distributed by AHA-Distribution to locations up to
1.5 hours drive from Barrow.
● The Visit Barrow website, www.visitbarrow.org.uk receives over 80,000 visitors per annum. A
campaign entitled ’20 reasons not to visit Barrow’ attracted over 15,000 visitors in a week.
● Our Visit Barrow Facebook page has over 3,500 followers and is used to promote town centre
events and other events organised by businesses and organisations located in the town centre,
such as The Forum Theatre and Art Gene. The Barrow BID website attracts 800-1,500 visitors pcm
and has information on events, local businesses, getting involved in the BID and BID schemes. The
website is regularly updated to provide information to businesses and the general public.
● The Barrow BID Facebook page enables us to reach businesses and the general public with up to
date information. The page has 4,400 followers and significant posts include:
- List of businesses remaining open during COVID lockdown 2021 which reached 12.6k
- Family Christmas Trail 2020 which reached 7.5k
- Free Parking during Christmas 2021 which reached 8.5k
- Shop Barrow Day 2020 which reached 17.6k and 15.5k with two posts
- Our proposed Garden Street scheme and vision for a 2 term which reached 15k
nd
- Our Dino Day 2020 promotion reached 0ver 30k
Many of the posts were boosted with paid advertising aimed at local residents and areas up
to 1.5 hours away from Barrow. Our established relationships with other local organisations and
businesses with active social media channels means that our posts are shared to audiences
(followers) of up to 45,000.
● In November 2020 Barrow BID produced a guide to Christmas Shopping in Barrow town centre,
which was promoted as a Flipbook and downloadable PDF online and also had a print run of 7,500
which were distributed to local residents around their area.
● For Christmas 2019 we produced a guide to Christmas in Barrow which promoted shopping, eating
and drinking and events within the town centre. At Barrow BID we understand that the festive
period is the most important time for retail and as it is difficult for high street retailers to compete
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on convenience, we have designed our promotional campaigns on visiting the town to taste a
festive experience.
Festivals, Events & Entertainment
● The Festival of Transport started out as the ‘Classic & Vintage Car & Bike Show’ in the Summer of
2017 and took on its new name and branding for the 2019 event. The Festival of Transport has
become a popular annual event in Barrow town centre attracting well over 5,000 visitors to the
town, with exhibitors travelling from as far away as Newcastle to attend the event. Vehicles are
located across the town centre which invites visitors to wander and find streets and businesses off
the main high street. The event now has its own committee which means it can become a
sustainable annual event for years to come, Barrow BID retains an interest in the organisation and
management of the event.
● The Tour of Britain Cycling Stage Race visited Barrow town centre for a stage start in September
2018. Barrow BID were a funding partner on the event and helped secure the stage start. We also
organised and managed a Fanzone within the town centre, where cycling enthusiasts could watch
the entire stage on a big screen. Key economic impact indicators from the Tour of Britain visiting
Cumbria included: (provided by Cumbria County Council)
- 240,000 spectators across the two stages.
- 1.5m viewers watched ITV4’s coverage of the two stages.
- Up to 60% of all visitors came from outside Cumbria and 48% stayed overnight.
- Average spend by overnight visitors was up to £133.17 per group.
- Up to 93% of visitors described the race as “very enjoyable”.
● In the Summer of 2019 Barrow BID teamed up with the Super Soapbox Challenge company and title
sponsors BAE Systems to deliver the Super Soapbox Challenge to the streets of Barrow town
centre. The event brought together charities, local residents and small businesses together with
engineering companies from the local area, who used their expertise and passion to build gravity
racers to compete along Barrow’s high street. The event attracted approximately 16,000 to the one
day, free event and was a huge economic boost to hospitality businesses, with Wetherspoon’s bar
and hotel telling us that their takings were up by over 50% on the day and that they had sold out of
rooms for the 2020 weekend, which was sadly cancelled due to COVID. Greggs told us that they had
underestimated the impact and had sold out of food on the day.
● Dino Day was set to take place in Easter 2020 but due to COVID restrictions the event was
postponed and reduced in size for an August 2020 date. Unfortunately due to the pandemic Barrow
BID had to be careful not to attract large visitor numbers, so a series of small activities were
repeated throughout the day to attract families to the town. The event was deemed a huge success
with parents declaring that it provided a huge boost to their children and their own mental
wellbeing.
● Smaller town centre events were supported with the Barrow BID Special Projects grant scheme.
This enabled us to attract organisations and groups to put on events in the town centre. The ‘This is
Me’ flash mob was a good example of an event supported by the fund, which enabled children and
adults with learning difficulties to put on a spectacular event of song and dance on Barrow’s high
street.
● Christmas Events included a Santa Dash in partnership with the local Rotary group, a Christmas
Carol Competition with local schools and a series of music, street entertainer and Santa visits within
town centre streets and businesses.
● In October 2019 Barrow BID brought some humour to the streets of Barrow with our very own
Comedy Festival weekend. The weekend included fun workshops, films and activities for families,
stand up sets in town centre bars, a comedy pub crawl which visited six different bars across the
town and a large charity night event in partnership with the Forum Theatre.
Barrow in Furness has a history of hosting large scale one-off events, however, prior to the
establishment of Barrow BID in 2016, the town centre hosted very few events and a calendar of annual
events was non-existent. At Barrow BID we want to establish an annual calendar of town centre events,
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which will provide an economic boost to town centre businesses, attract visitors from away and help
transform the perception of Barrow town centre.
Did we meet the project outputs set out in our 1st term business plan?
● New contemporary brand specifically for the town centre.
The town centre did not get a new contemporary brand. In 2018 Barrow BID launched the Visit
Barrow brand to promote Barrow as a visitor destination, in line with towns, cities and areas across
the UK. We felt that this took priority and a further brand for the town centre would dilute the
message of Visit Barrow.
● New website & App with BID businesses having free entries
The Barrow BID website was set up and is updated regularly. The site includes a directory of
businesses and was also used to promote businesses providing products and services during the
COVID pandemic. www.barrowbid.co.uk
No app has been set up to promote the businesses located in Barrow town centre, however, this is
firmly on our agenda for a 2nd term.
● New 5 year digital media marketing campaign
Barrow BID has promoted the town centre and businesses located in the town via an online and
offline promotional campaign. We have utilised social media platforms to create cost effective
marketing and have partnered with Cando FM, the Evening Mail and other media outlets to
promote and advertise Barrow town centre as a destination.
● New or extended events in town centre
Barrow town centre pre-BID was unique, in that, it was rarely used for events and activities.
Neighbouring towns realised that events not only provide a needed economic boost to the local
economy, but they instil a sense of pride back into the town. In 2019 Barrow BID delivered on their
promise to bring high quality events to Barrow town centre and, despite the COVID pandemic, have
continued to deliver events and activities in a safe manner.
Did we meet Key Performance Indicators?
● KPI: Footfall
Our annual footfall count survey was cancelled in 2018 as the information didn’t match the cost of
conducting them. The BID board discussed how single day surveys were unreliable as they could be
impacted by the weather or other outside influences. The board agreed that footfall counting
would need an electronic system to be accurate, but the cost could not be justified when the
delivery of projects and initiatives was more important.
The board continues to work with national chains using their in-store footfall counters and
information provided through their tills, but this information cannot be made public.
Since March 2020 and the outbreak of COVID we have seen a large decline in footfall throughout
the town.
● KPI: Business confidence
In our 2021 survey, 73% of businesses stated that we had made a ‘good’ or better impact on
making the town busier and 80% of businesses said that they would vote YES for a 2nd term. This
compares favourably to a 2018 survey which stated only 42% of businesses thought Barrow BID had
made a ‘good’ or better impact and only 54% said they would vote YES to a 2nd term.
● KPI: Customer Survey to gauge perception of the town
Barrow BID has not undertaken a customer survey to gauge the changing perception of the town,
however, we do use social media and the Evening Mail articles to gauge opinions and see how the
town is perceived. Although the town centre still receives strong criticism by some individuals, we
have seen a steady change in trend and many of our events and schemes have received positive
feedback on social media and in the media.
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“I have never seen the town centre so busy, what an amazing day.”
Super Soapbox Day 2019
“We visited a stall as part of the Dino Egg Trail. I didn’t even realise the stall existed and it was so
nice. I’ll definitely return to the market and see what other businesses have to offer.”
Dino Day 2021
“The Christmas lights have never looked better, what a difference they have made to the town
centre.”
Christmas Lights 2020
“It was great to see the town being cleaned. It is about time somebody took pride in the town
centre.”
Community clean event 2019
“How good did Barrow look on the ITV shots, it made you proud to be a Barrovian.”
Tour of Britain 2018
● KPI: Increase in visitors from outside the borough
Barrow BID has worked with accommodation providers to gauge the impact on visitor numbers due
to Barrow BID’s ‘Visit Barrow’ marketing campaign and our series of town centre events. The
feedback we have had is positive, with the Holiday Inn Express informing us that August 2020
surpassed expectations, and had a high number of visitors from outside the area on weekends. The
Furness Railway hotel also informed us that their rooms were fully booked for the 2020 Super
Soapbox event on Spring Bank Holiday months in advance.
b. Objective 2
To make access to Barrow town centre easier and more attractive for residents, visitors and workers
throughout the day.
Improving Access
● In July 2016 Cumbria County Council commissioned Mott MacDonald to produce a town centre
parking and moving study for Barrow. The report outlined priority schemes and Barrow BID have
championed key projects throughout our 1st term, including:
- Cavendish Street one way and bus route scheme which would open up the heart of the
town to visitors by bus, make access to town centre car parks easier and reduce traffic
using a back alley connecting two streets in the town. The project was part of a Future High
Street Funding application in 2020.
- Barrow BID funded the installation of a sign on the A590 directing vehicles to the town
centre along Abbey Road.
- We have worked in partnership with the local authorities to improve lighting for
pedestrians in the ginnel between Portland Walk and the town square.
- Barrow BID is represented on the Town Deal Programme Board and Cycling & Walking
Infrastructure Partnership and continues to lobby the need for improvements to walking
and cycling infrastructure leading to and within the town centre boundaries.
- Barrow BID has worked on a train station gateway scheme which will see tourist signs,
finger posts and way markers installed in the train station and along Abbey Road to guide
people to the town centre and to other local places of interest. The installation is planned
to take place in June 2021 prior to the end of our 1st term.
● Our ‘End of Street’ sign scheme uses the back of existing traffic signs to promote businesses located
on side streets to people using the pedestrianised high street.
● In 2018 Barrow BID funded a series of new car park signs to signpost visitors to car parks in the
town centre.
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● Car Parking is seen as one of the main barriers to visitors by many BID levy payers. As such, Barrow
BID wrote to the local authority in 2020 to request that a town centre parking strategy was
produced for the benefit of town centre businesses. We asked that the old pay on entry system be
replaced with a pay on exit system to reduce parking tickets and encourage visitors to stay longer.
Barrow BID are passionate about improving car parking and will continue to lobby both local
authorities to improve on-street and off-street parking.
● We set up and funded a FREE after 3pm car parking scheme in Whittaker Street and the Multi-
storey car park.
● During the festive period we have funded FREE parking days in town centre car parks and have run
a ‘Shop Barrow Day’ at the start of December to attract visitors to use the town for their Christmas
shopping. The ‘Shop Barrow Day’ combines free parking and entertainment with an extensive
promotional campaign.
Making the town more Attractive
● Our Business Premises Grant scheme was launched at the end of 2018 and offered businesses 50%
of the costs to improve the exterior of their business up to a maximum of £1,000. To date, we have
assisted 30 businesses with grants totalling £25,000 and we aim to hand out grants to the value of
£35,000 before the end of our first term.
● For the start of the festive period 2019, Barrow BID invested in new Christmas lighting for the town
centre. In 2019 we funded over 2km of cross-street lighting for Dalton Rd and Portland Walk, new
LED lighting for town centre trees and 2D shapes for the ginnel at the side of the Forum. In 2020
another 1km of cross-street lighting was purchased for Scott Street, Cavendish Street, the Outdoor
Market area and the Market ginnel. We also funded new infrastructure in Crellin Street to power
lighting in the trees bordering Hall Street car park.
● As well as improving the visual aspect of the town, Barrow BID has funded the installation of
speakers in two ginnels which have been used for Christmas music and Jurassic noises, (on Dino
Day) and are also connected to a radio transmitter to bring the local radio station, Cando FM to
shoppers.
● We have funded a series of window vinyls to tidy up and enhance empty units, promote events and
encourage people to stay safe during the COVID pandemic.
● Over our 1st term we have organised a series of community clean events and have encouraged local
business owners and the general public to take pride in their local environment. The clean events
enabled us to identify areas which required further attention, these included:
● Phone boxes which were dirty and were being used for fly posting. Barrow BID designed vinyl
coverings for the backs of the phone boxes to promote businesses and add colour to the town.
● Waste bins were identified as an area where improvement was required as the bins had become
dirty and rusty. We lobbied the council to improve the bins in the town centre and remove some
that were having a negative impact on surrounding businesses.
● Barrow BID has also lobbied the council to provide regular ‘deep cleans’ of the town. The current
town centre cleaning contract is currently very limited, which has led to the quality streetscape
becoming dirty over time. During Spring 2020 the local authority commissioned a company to
power wash areas of the town centre.
● Barrow BID has continued to lobby Cumbria Highways to maintain and enhance the planting of
trees in the town and have also lobbied for the addition of bunting and art installations across
streets in the town centre.
Did we meet the project outputs set out in our 1st term business plan?
● At least two new “free” or discounted car parking promotions in the town
Our FREE after 3pm campaign has been a mainstay of Barrow town centre since its inception in
2017 and has proven popular for visitors to Whittaker Street and the Multi-Storey car park in
Barrow town centre.
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Since the 2019 festive period Barrow BID has organised FREE parking days to attract visitors to
spend more time in Barrow town centre. The parking days are incorporated into a ‘Shop Barrow
Day’ with festive music and entertainment across the town centre.
Did we meet Key Performance Indicators?
● KPI: 20% increase in Car Park Ticket Sales
This optimistic KPI has not been achieved with car park usage declining over the past five years,
with a slight increase in 2016/17 of 0.33% followed by a decrease of 1.89% and 2.51% in the
following years. 2019/20 saw a decrease of 8.58% although this could be attributed to the closure
of the multi-storey for 4 months and the outbreak of COVID in March 2020. The final year, 2020/21
has been severely affected by COVID and we expect to see a decrease of approx. 65%.
c. Objective 3
To take pride in Barrow, filling empty units with new or expanding businesses and growing the town’s
offer.
● Our business premises grant scheme has enabled us to assist a number of new businesses to
purchase signage and revitalise their premises when moving into the town centre. To date, 12 new
businesses have received our Business Premises Grant.
● A further 18 businesses have taken advantage of the Business Premises Grant Scheme to invest in
their existing businesses.
● In 2019 Barrow BID created a heritage trail leaflet to promote the heritage of Barrow in Furness.
The leaflet had a print run of 2,000 and has been distributed locally to encourage people to
understand the town’s heritage and instil a sense of pride in the town.
● Barrow BID was a key partner of a Heritage Action Zone application which secured £1.9m to
enhance the Duke Street, Ramsden Square and Cornwallis Street area. Barrow BID agreed to
‘match fund’ the four year scheme with £15,000 per annum.
● Barrow BID are represented on the Town Deal board and the Town Centre Programme board and
have been a key partner in applications for upwards of £50m from the government to enhance
Barrow’s town centre and the surrounding area.
● In 2018 we booked inspirational marketing and customer service speaker Geoff Ramm to visit the
town and provide businesses with an insight into how they can improve their customer service and
enhance customer’s experience.
● We understand the need to increase the offer to visitors of the town and reduce the emphasis on
shopping as the main attraction. As such, we have worked on the following schemes:
- Represented the town on a tourism partnership to enhance the town centre as a visitor
destination and to encourage leisure, culture and hospitality to improve their offer.
- Identified areas for urban regeneration aimed at specific target audiences. Work has
included extensive consultation, creating tender briefs and commissioning the creation of
artist impressions.
- Lobbied the local authorities to improve the outdoor market space. The space was being
under-utilised by market traders, had poor quality metal market stalls and poor quality
block paving. Our lobbying has seen improvements to the area and consultation has started
to identify schemes to get the most out of the space.
Did we meet the project outputs set out in our 1st term business plan?
● Establish a new ‘Pride in Barrow’ initiative
This was established in partnership with the local authority, County Council, Evening Mail and the
local MP in 2016. The scheme stated that all parties would seek to promote Barrow town centre
positively and work together to create a better town centre.
● Initiative to help to fill empty shops and premises
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Barrow BID has lobbied the Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness to reduce business rates
and provide a more competitive footing for bricks and mortar businesses. We have championed the
town and supported new start and re-locating businesses with our Business Premises Grant scheme
which has funded 12 new businesses.
Unfortunately the UK wide problems affecting high street brands has been the cause of many units
to become empty, and Barrow BID is not able to reverse this national trend. We have seen two of
our anchor stores leave the high street and we must take action to ensure that geographical
important commercial units are brought back to life.
Did we meet Key Performance Indicators?
● KPI: Reduction in vacant premises
Awaiting latest survey information but the evidence points to an increase in empty units,
particularly in the retail core where we have lost national chain stores.
d. Objective 4
To establish Barrow town centre’s evening and night-time economy as a welcoming, safe environment
for people of all ages to enjoy food, drink & entertainment.
● Following the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, the Government outlined plans to get more bars,
restaurants and cafes to create outdoor areas. Barrow BID set aside a pot of money to fund the
£100 licence fee for businesses applying for a pavement licence and have assisted with the
purchase of barriers and planters to create pavement café areas.
● We support the Street Angels programme and have funded the purchase of hi-vis jackets and vests
for their volunteers.
● Our comedy festival supported evening economy businesses; and the comedy pub crawl event
enabled participants to visit bars which they may not have visited before.
● Barrow BID continued to lobby the local MP and Northern Rail to put on later trains out of Barrow,
particularly at the weekend. Currently trains arrive into Barrow after midnight, enabling people
from Barrow to visit neighbouring towns and enjoy leisure, food and drink before returning home,
however, the last trains out of Barrow tend to be around 9.45pm which means people cannot visit
the town and take in a show or enjoy food and drink before having to return by train.
● Barrow BID are working with a number of evening economy businesses to identify how we can
improve the sector and attract customers back to Barrow. Leisure facilities and European style
streets have been discussed as a way of transforming the evening economy.
Did we meet the project outputs set out in our 1st term business plan?
● New weekly late night shopping
Late night shopping was trialled during busy festive periods and was deemed unsuccessful due to
high marketing costs coupled with a low take up by businesses and low footfall numbers.
● New ‘Restaurant Week’ established
Restaurant Week was programmed to take place during the final week of January 2019. The take-
up on the scheme by local businesses was poor with only three food and drink venues seeking to be
part of the scheme. As the scheme failed to meet its 20% minimum take-up of local bars and
restaurants it was cancelled.
● New regular programme of music & events
Although Barrow BID has created a programme of large scale annual events and some smaller
community events, the consensus of the Barrow BID board is that we have so far not yet achieved a
regular programme of music and events in the town in particular to support the evening economy
businesses.
Barrow BID has supported local musicians to busk in the town centre and has set up partnerships
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with Cando FM, The Lockin and other live music providers to review how we can deliver on this
project output.
Did we meet Key Performance Indicators?
● KPI: Customer satisfaction surveys for evening economy events
Barrow BID’s main evening economy event took place in October 2019 with the Comedy Festival
Weekend. This event enabled Barrow BID to work in partnership with evening economy businesses
to deliver a range of events and activities across the town centre.
Feedback from the event was very positive with 92% of people attending the Comedy Pub Crawl
stating that the event had been very good or better and stating that they would attend a similar
event in the future. Barrow BID also received positive feedback from the BID Comedy Night at the
Forum, which sold over 65% of seats and hosted five comedians from the UKs comedy circuit. One
audience member stated, “We don’t get comedy events like this in Barrow, it is fantastic that we
are bringing quality events to the town.”
● KPI: Evening economy business confidence survey
Although we haven’t sent out a specific survey to gauge the confidence of evening economy
business, we have seen an increase in partnership working and had some excellent feedback from
venues across the town.
“The Super Soapbox event has resulted in a huge increase in our turnover and we have had
individuals visit who never even knew we existed.”
Townhouse Manager
“What an atmosphere (Comedy Pub Crawl), I honestly didn’t think it would work with just one
comedian in our venue and a mixed audience who might have never set foot in here…. but it really
worked.”
Barrow Labour Club Manager
e. Objective 5
To build, through the BID, an effective partnership between the town’s businesses, organisations and
local authorities for the benefit of Barrow’s businesses and wider community
● Barrow BID has become a key partner on a number of local initiatives including:
- Town Centre Programme board which is a local authority led partnership focusing on the
regeneration of Barrow town centre.
- Town Deal (Brilliant Barrow) board which is a public and private sector led partnership
focusing on the Town Deal fund and the regeneration of Barrow and the surrounding area.
- Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Partnership which is a public sector led partnership
focusing on how walking and cycling can stimulate economic growth, health and tourism.
- Barrow Cultural Consortium which is part of the Heritage Action Zones and identifies and
delivers cultural initiatives to support and promote Barrow’s rich heritage
- Furness Line CRP which is a public and rail partnership devoted to improving and promoting
the Furness railway line.
- The Local Focus Hub which is a Cumbria Police led initiative focusing on crime and disorder
issues such as anti-social behaviour, street begging, vandalism and shoplifting.
- Furness Tourism Forum which is a private and public sector led group focusing on
enhancing Barrow as a tourism destination.
- Market Traders Association which is a local authority led group set up to understand the
needs of Barrow’s indoor market traders.
- Barrow Festival of Transport committee which was set up by Barrow BID to undertake the
organisation and delivery of the Festival of Transport event held in July each year.
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As well as the many groups listed above, Barrow BID also has regular meetings with our local
authority leaders and MP to discuss issues affecting the town centre and businesses within the
town centre. We are the voice of local businesses and are able to consult with BID levy payers to
gauge the priorities affecting them and discuss ways of improving the challenges businesses face.
f. Objective 6 (added March 2020)
To support businesses through the Coronavirus pandemic and assist businesses and the local economy
to ‘bounce back’ from the impact of the pandemic.
Objective 6 was created in the Spring of 2020 following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic and
the first National lockdown announced by the Government.
● Barrow BID created a directory of town centre businesses remaining open or reaching customers
via takeaway or delivery services. We actively promoted town centre businesses throughout the
local community and asked the ‘community resilience partnership’ to share the directory with
vulnerable adults.
● We produced a COVID support pack for businesses re-opening after lockdown one which consisted
of floor stickers and posters containing information on social distancing and COVID regulations.
● We aided town centre businesses with barriers and H&S support, particularly where there were
issues with queuing in the streets where neighbouring businesses were affected.
● Barrow BID supplied information about grants and support on our social media applications and
created a Coronavirus area on our website. We also worked with private and public sector partners
to deliver an online seminar and Q&A session regarding the Government’s grant scheme.
● During the Coronavirus pandemic Barrow BID continued to promote the town and small businesses
with localised promotional campaigns.
● As a BID, during the first lockdown we embarked on a ‘Business Focus’ campaign on social media,
highlighting many of the businesses within our town centre.
● The Coronavirus pandemic changed the way we deliver events in the town, as social gatherings
were reduced or stopped all together. We adapted to this situation by delivering a series of town
trails, which attracted families to the town and encouraged them to explore the town centre and
visit businesses in their own family bubble. Barrow BID has delivered three town trails with over
500 people participating and 25 businesses involved.
3. Consultation - What have businesses said about Barrow BID?
In January 2021 Barrow BID conducted a consultation survey with BID levy paying businesses, hand
delivering 123 hard copies to businesses remaining open during the national lockdown, and sending an
email containing a link to an online version to 216 BID levy contacts together with posting links on our
own website and social media platforms.
The survey asked BID levy payers for feedback on the following:
1. What Barrow BID schemes are you aware of?
2. How successful has Barrow BID been in making an impact?
3. What should Barrow BID focus on next?
4. Would you vote YES to keep Barrow BID for a 2nd term?
We also asked businesses open ended questions to find out:
5. Which BID schemes have made the most impact in the town?
6. What should Barrow BID have done differently?
7. What ideas do you have for improving the town centre?
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The results of our consultation survey
1. What Barrow BID Schemes are you aware of?
Super Soapbox 100% Tour of Britain 76% Cando FM Advertising 48%
Festival of Transport 93% Visit Barrow Brand 76% Tourism Leaflet 41%
Dino Day 90% Shop Barrow Day 76% Tourism Signs 41%
End of Street Signs 90% Barrow BID Website 76% Comedy Festival 41%
Free Parking Days 90% Visit Barrow Website 72% Music Installations 38%
Barrow BID Facebook 90% Community Cleans 69% New Business Support 38%
Christmas Lights 90% Outdoor Market 69% Heritage Leaflet 34%
Premises Grants 90% Pavement Cafes 66% Cycling Leaflets 31%
Xmas Shopping Guide 86% Car Parking Signs 66% Heritage Action Zone 31%
Free after 3pm Parking 86% Visit Barrow Facebook 62% Heritage Trail 31%
Window Vinyls 83% Grants for Events 55% Choir Competition 31%
Christmas Events 83% Buskers 52% Street Football Festival 28%
Barrow BID is known for its delivery of high quality events and it is no surprise that BID Levy payers
are aware of our primary events. It is encouraging that over 50% of respondents were aware of 24
schemes delivered by Barrow BID and shows where we need to increase communication with BID
levy payers. Many of the schemes in the right hand column have been delivered via our Visit
Barrow brand and levy payers may not understand that this is a brand that we created and manage
to promote the town as a destination location.
2. How successful has Barrow BID been in making an impact?
Excellent 12.6%
Very Good 29.9%
Good 32.2%
OK 20.7%
Poor 4.6%
It is encouraging to see that almost 75% of respondents believe that Barrow BID has made a ‘good’
impact or better in the town. It was interesting to read from respondents that the Super Soapbox
Challenge event was a pivotal point for Barrow BID and made businesses aware of who we are and
what we are aiming to achieve.
3. What should Barrow BID focus on next?
Busier Barrow Score Brighter Barrow Score Better Barrow Score
Car parking 46 Tidy Empty Units 32 Regular Events 43
Promoting the town 27 Premises Grants 27 Attracting Business 34
Promoting businesses 26 More Entertainment 23 Large Scale Events 18
Public Transport 10 Pavement Cafes 19 Community Events 17
Improved signage 9 Community Cleaning 16 Tackle ASB 13
We asked respondents to rank their first three priorities in each of our main 2 nd term objectives and gave them a score
based on their rank.
Busier Barrow
As expected, we received a lot of feedback from businesses who feel that out-of-town retail parks
with convenient free parking have an unfair advantage and this meant that car parking ranked as
the highest priority for businesses. Barrow BID has written to the local authority with a request to
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produce a car park strategy which would see parking fees decrease and the pay on entry systems
replaced with pay on exit, which encourages longer stays.
Businesses would like to see a continuation of marketing and promotion of the town centre and
businesses within the town. They felt that the Christmas Shopping Guide (Nov 2020) was a great
success and not only promoted the wealth of shops in the town but helped dispel the myth that
Barrow town centre is full of charity shops and budget shops.
Walking and cycling infrastructure were separate schemes and totalled 15, showing that
there is an appetite to improve green routes into the town.
Brighter Barrow
The main focus of respondents was to do something about the number of empty units in the town
centre. If these can’t be filled and put to use, businesses want to see them tidied so they don’t
affect surrounding properties/businesses.
The premises grant scheme has proven to be very popular and businesses would like to see a
continuation of this scheme into the 2nd term.
Pavement cafes were a popular choice from businesses with comments including, “This is an
opportunity to use our pedestrianised streets to transform the town.”
Better Barrow
Although large scale events scored well coming in 3 , businesses were keen to see more regular
rd
events and felt that Barrow needed specific areas to host events and activities.
It is no surprise to see attracting businesses high on the list as there is a need to replace the
businesses who have left the town and fill the empty units left behind. Barrow BID has written to
our local MP to request a rate review which would affect town centre businesses in two ways. We
have asked that non-domestic rates are reduced, but more importantly, that high street (retail
core) premises have a higher reduction to bring them in line with the edge of town rates and
encourage businesses to relocate into the retail core.
Anti-social behaviour in the town centre is a concern of many businesses who often do not feel
safe.
4. Would you vote YES to keep Barrow BID for a 2 term?
nd
80% of respondents stated that they would vote YES to a 2 term with 14% stating they would need
nd
more information before making a decision and only 1 respondent stating they would vote NO.
5. Which BID schemes have made the most impact in the town?
“The one that made Barrow the busiest was Soapbox but December is great with the festive town
and the range of events and activities. Dino Day was awesome too and Barrow BID should be really
proud of what they have achieved so far.”
Miss Melvs Radiance Beauty
“Free parking days and Free parking after 3pm.”
The Entertainer
“I think you have done an amazing job making the town busier especially during the pandemic. I
went just before Christmas and the town centre was busy with people shopping in local shops which
is so positive which shows that your Christmas Shopping Guide worked.”
Drop Zone Youth Project
“The events I have seen have been great and well put together. Now I am a retailer in town I hope
the Soapbox event goes ahead as I remember how busy town was last time and I’ve never really
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seen a buzz in the town centre like that before.”
Purdy’s Bakehouse
“I think the event days pulled a lot of people to Barrow town centre and the free parking initiatives
always work to draw people in.”
Coco Hair & Beauty
“Christmas Lights.”
McDonalds
“As we've found ourselves in dire circumstances, the simple idea of improving the Christmas lights,
cheered everybody up instantly. This changed the mood of shoppers and from personal experience
as a retailer, all our customers appreciate it immensely.”
Atomic Comica
“The Soapbox event.”
The Owl Sanctuary
“The Visit Barrow project.”
Crafty Hobbies
“Free or discounted parking is the only scheme where I have noticed a difference. Nothing else has
given me any noticeable difference to foot flow.”
Mr Mister
“I would say the premises grant scheme, as many businesses benefitted from it and drastically
improved the look of the town centre.”
RM Letting & Property
“The Christmas lights.”
Conlons
“The Christmas shopping guide had the best impact for us.”
Special Occasions
6. What should Barrow BID have done differently?
“Big art work or installation.”
Drop Zone Youth Project
“More events in town from January to April to encourage people into town during the quieter
months.”
Re:New Charity Shop
“Grants to help and encourage people to open shops and eateries. Then we can concentrate on
making the town centre great again.”
Discount Footwear
“I think being more active on Instagram would be good, it is our most popular platform. Even
though our shop is closed I have sold over 250 boxes of tray bakes online in the last 10 days and
they are going all over the UK. This is literally through Instagram and my marketing techniques. This
is where some local businesses could improve with training.”
Purdy’s Bakehouse
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“Tackle anti-social behaviour in the town.”
McDonalds
“You should have lobbied Cumbria County Council for a better road network that kept traffic moving
and didn’t end up with constant one way or dead end streets would improve access to the town
along with bus stops actually in the town centre. Personally I’d like to see much more provision for
cycling into the town centre and for secure storage when there, but this is a chicken and egg
scenario as the people won’t come until the infrastructure is there but without it we won’t increase
demand to justify investment.”
Last Resort Café
“Work with the council and other partners to make things happen. There always seems to be too
many barriers to progress, we need to believe in the ability of others to help improve and promote
OUR TOWN.”
The Owl Sanctuary
“You should have been more relentless in ensuring traffic and public transport can access the town
centre.”
Simon Craig (ex-Barrow BID Chairman)
“More advertising in tourist areas.”
Dandy’s
“Barrow needs to work out a way of working together. It is way too divided, there’s a lack of
common direction. Also Barrow needs to improve its marketing, it should position itself as the retail
and leisure centre for South and West Cumbria.”
Duke of Edinburgh
“Get the public involved in the planning of real change not superficial makeovers.”
Ashton Theatre Group
“More free parking days or parking incentives, I appreciate it is out of Barrow BID’s control.”
Jenny Stitches
“All year round lights in the town centre will make it brighter.”
The Waffle House
“Some more focus on areas that are looking tired and dull or empty in the bid shopping area. Could
the BID money be spent more on areas that desperately need improving and are bringing the look of
town down?”
Special Occasions
“Open air continental markets once a month.”
The Well
7. What ideas do you have for improving the town centre?
“Encourage local businesses and entrepreneurs to set-up pop-up shops on a short term, (6-12 week)
contract in empty shops as a taster. It may lead to a permanent actual shop and create a Barrow
town centre of the past where there were no empty shops.”
Miss Melvs Radiance Beauty
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