Traders in Bishop’s Stortford have voted for a £900,000 boost for the town centre. Retailers, restaurants and service providers backed the launch of a five-year Business Improvement District (BID), with 86% of outlets which took part in the ballot in favour (88% in favour by rateable value). Cllr Gary Jones, executive member for economic development at East Herts Council and the authority’s deputy leader, said: “We are delighted that the businesses in Bishop’s Stortford have voted to form a BID in the town centre. This will provide businesses with the opportunity to decide what improvements they want to make to their town and give them the funds to make these a reality.
“The BID will be run by a board, chaired by Karen Burton, and I look forward to inviting Karen as a representative of local business onto the Shaping Stortford team.” The BID will now focus on delivering the three main priorities identified by businesses in the town: marketing and events, parking and accessibility, and backing business.
Actions include: Gindependence Day celebrating the town’s distilling heritage, parking marshals to ease congestion at peak times and joint purchasing schemes to cut business operating costs. Over the past 18 months, a team of traders headed by Karen, of Karen’s Cakes at Northgate End, with solicitor Sam Cook, of Nockolds in Market Square, as her deputy, formulated a business plan. Now they are eager to use the new investment of around £204,575.12 a year to turn their ideas into innovations which will breathe new life into the high street.
Karen, who has just celebrated 30 years in business, said: “I just want to get on with it now and just make sure everything we do is focused on the town positively. I’m looking forward to working with East Herts Council and just really doing things that will make a difference.” Lindsey Trundle, who runs Click Click photographic studio in Potter Street, is also a member of the steering committee behind the BID.
