| GSA
NEWS
Edinburgh city centre Business Improvement
District
Edinburgh City Centre Management (ECCM) is developing a Business
Improvement District (BID) in the city centre. It is likely that
George Street will be included in the proposed area.
BIDs are a new partnership approach between the private and public
sectors designed to improve a local area in line with business’
needs.
BIDs around the world vary hugely in size and scope. They can
deliver one particular project, such as a marketing campaign,
or installation of a security system; or they can work on a range
of projects that businesses in all sectors in their area benefit
from.
So long as they are additional
to services already provided by public bodies,
such as local authorities and the police, most BID projects cover
the following aspects of the trading environment:
• Maintenance: (street cleaning) faster litter, graffiti
and flyposter removal; and cleaning of street furniture
• Security: linking modern CCTV systems directly to a police
station; uniformed ambassadors linking with local police force
and providing assistance to visitors
• Marketing: ways to link the day-time and night-time economies,
leisure guides; collective advertising campaigns and special events
are all initiatives that can be taken forward by BIDs
• Public realm: delivery of enhancements to improve pedestrian
flow; make streets more welcoming and increase footfall
However, any initiative that a business community agrees on, so
long as it does not contradict local authority plans for the area,
can be taken forward by a BID.
ECCM is consulting with businesses
in the city centre to ensure that the BID proposed for Edinburgh
city centre addresses the needs of business. For further information
please go to http://www.edinburghcc.com/BID_home.htm
Edinburgh City Centre Management
(ECCM)
Edinburgh City Centre Management Company (ECCM) is an independent
company supported by SEE&L, the City of Edinburgh Council
and over 90 City Centre organisations and businesses. The company:
• led the successful campaign against a flawed traffic management
scheme implemented in George Street in 2005;
• delivers a range of events, including the inaugural Edinburgh
International Fashion Festival in April 2006, weekly farmers’
markets on Castle Terrace and monthly fine foods market on Castle
Street;
• took the lead role in engaging public sector agencies
in the Capital Streets public realm project, which has seen the
redevelopment of Castle Street and put plans in place for similar
projects in the Grassmarket and St Andrew Square;
• operates a warden service, which works on added-value
maintenance contracts in The Exchange;
• runs the Edinburgh Safe City Centre Initiative, which
targets solutions to incidences of crime and anti-social behaviour
in the city centre.
Contact information
For more information on the BID
planned for Edinburgh City Centre, please e-mail Elinor Jayne,
BID Development Manager elinorjayne@edinburghcc.com
or Ian Broadfoot, City Centre Manager ianbroadfoot@edinburghcc.com |
