BID Appoints pfbb To Drive Forward Improvements
The Board of Derby’s latest Business Improvement District (BID) in the St Peter’s Quarter has appointed Partnerships for Better Business Ltd (pfbb) to provide project and contract management services to support the businesses in driving forward improvements to the area.
Derby based pfbb, headed by Ian Ferguson, handled the feasibility studies, research and consultation work and the preparation of the business plan for the BID.
This was successfully adopted by businesses in the St Peter’s Quarter area this month and a five-year programme of activity to promote the area, improve the visitor experience and encourage investment and business development in the area is now underway.
pfbb specialises in supporting businesses to develop and deliver Business Improvement Districts and in market development consultancy with clients throughout the UK.
The company already handles the project and contract management for the Cathedral Quarter, which was the city centre’s first Business Improvement District, set up in February 2008; and for Brackmills Industrial Estate – a 730 acre logistics park in Northampton which is the largest industrial estate BID in the UK.
Further afield, pfbb has recently completed a feasibility study for the development of a new BID in Durham city centre which is now moving onto the development phase and work on the feasibility of an Industrial Estate BID in Daventry.
Ian Ferguson, who sits on the Advisory Council to the Board of the Association of Town Centre Managers and a member of the Government’s Retail Policy Forum, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by the St Peter’s Quarter BID Board and work is already underway to bring together the businesses to action the first priority projects under the business plan.
“It will obviously benefit both the St Peter’s Quarter and the Cathedral Quarter to have a common lynch pin for both areas. Although each BID area has different characteristics, target markets and priorities, it is important that activities in both areas are complementary to each other and to the city centre as a whole.
“Business Improvement Districts are recognised across the UK as an important way of supporting businesses to achieve improvements in business turnover and profit, stimulate economic development and increase investment.
Stephen Jeffery, Chair of the St Peter’s Quarter BID Board, said: “Pfbb have been instrumental in the successful launch of the BID. Their expertise in retail-related issues and in running BIDS, allied to their connections with national bodies, has been invaluable in helping the St Peter’s Quarter BID Board to put together the final Business Plan which the businesses voted on.
“We look forward to working with them over the next five years to put the plans into reality and bring this important part of the city centre back to its former glory with a range of innovative and exciting projects.”
Martin Langsdale, Chair of the Cathedral Quarter management group, added: “pfbb has been the driving force behind the BID over the past 3½ years and we would not have achieved half of what we have during that time without their expertise.
“The success of any one area is dependent upon the vibrancy of the city as a whole and, with pfbb working across both the Cathedral Quarter and St Peter’s Quarter, we are now assured of a joined-up approach which will benefit businesses across the city centre – working together towards a common goal rather than in isolation and in competition with each other.”
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