Published: Friday, 22nd January, 2010 10:48am

BID to improve Peebles town centre

Left to right: Alastair Mittchel ,Falkirk and District Town Centre Management, David Pye, Peebles Community Council, Alan Dickson Retail Mentors Ltd., Ian Davidson Porter, Project Director, BIDS Scotland.

PEEBLES town centre is set to benefit from a new pioneering project entitled, 'Positively Peebles'.

The project's main objective is improve and maintain a successful and vibrant town centre within Peebles by means of a becoming a BID (Business Improvement District).

And on Wednesday night (January 20), a meeting was held at the Eastgate in Peebles to help move this project forward, in attendance were numerous ineterested businesses and community groups.

Speakers on the night included Ian Davison Porter, Project Director with Business Improvement Districts Scotland; Alastair Mitchell a town centre manager with Falkirk BID; and Alan Dickson from the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce.

Attendees heard how a BID (Business Improvement District) is a public-private partnership in which businesses elect to pay an additional tax in order to fund improvements to the town's public and trading environment.

Businesses pay a common maintenance fee for services that enhance the appearance of the town's common areas and provide cooperative advertising for the town and its various services.

However, before agreeing to fund the additional investment, businesses themselves decide how their money will be spent and how much they are prepared to pay.

Each business liable to contribute to the BID will then be able to vote on whether or not that BID goes ahead.

Various towns throughout Scotland such as Inverness, Dunfermline, Alloa and Falkirk have been boosted by a BID.

Whilst initiated by the community council, the Positively Peebles project has been progressed by a small working group, led by community council secretary David Pye throughout 2009.

Speaking afterwards he said: "It was a very successful meeting. Hundreds of businesses have declared an interest and what we now need to do is take it to the next level which entails deciding on what improvements people would like to see if we proceed with a BID.

"Improvements maybe in better signage, more litter bins or flowers, or maybe better marketing of the town as a tourist destination."