Oswestry Business Improvement District secures a second term
Oswestry BID (Business Improvement District) has secured a second term following a successful ballot.
Shropshire Council has welcomed the news, with the new term from April 2023 for the next five years.
The not-for-profit organisation is funded by, and works on behalf of, its members, who trade from and within Oswestry town centre and its surrounding industrial estates.
Levy-paying members took to the ballot from 6 October to 3 November 2021, with a majority voting in favour of a second term for the BID.
Set up in 2018 the BID represents over 300 levy-paying businesses, and aims to promote business and tourism in Oswestry town. The BID has led, and been involved in, various projects to build upon Oswestry’s heritage since it was founded, such as the Oswestry Night Bus, street cleaning, traffic management, business grants and town events.
Laying out plans for the next five years, Oswestry BID put together a business case which outlined the organisation’s ambitions through to 2028, which features a ringfenced £1.4 million to invest in Oswestry over the five-year period.
Ian Follington, Oswestry BID Chair, said:
“The BID team, the board and I are all naturally delighted with the positive ballot result and wish to thank our levy-payers for their vote of confidence in Oswestry BID.
“We are all proud of what Oswestry BID has been able to achieve over the past four and a half years, and would like to thank our partners and everybody who has been part of that achievement for their hard work and dedication. I would particularly like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the BID team and the strong support we have received from both Shropshire Council and Oswestry Town Council.”
Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said:
“This is brilliant news for the BID and the wider town of Oswestry. The outcome of the ballot is a credit to the work of the BID so far, and this is a real, positive step forward for local business. Shropshire Council have championed the BID and its meaningful work, and will continue to do so as part of our joint effort to support local businesses and the economy. Congratulations!”
