A Business Plan for the renewal of Twickenham town centre ...trytwickenhambid.co.uk/.../try-twickenham-business-plan.pdf10,000 Alfresco Guides were handed out around Twickenham to

A Business Plan for the renewal of Twickenham town centre Business Improvement District (BID)

www.trytwickenham.com2019 - 2024

Contents

1 www.trytwickenham.com

2 What is a BID?3 Introduction from the Chair5 The last five years6 Research and Insight7 Marketing, Promotion & Events9 Attractive, Safe & Accessible

11 Connected & Represented13 Competing for the future15 How to vote16 BID Area17 Budget and Levy Rules

Lotta Soderholm, Lotta From Stockholm

Try Twickenham has been a great support, helping us promote our own events and giving us the opportunity to highlight our business to the local community at the fantastic annual Try Twickenham Christmas Event and this year’s fun Easter Bunny Trail. Through their events and social media coverage they’ve built a great connection between the local community and businesses, which as a local resident and business owner myself is great to see and be a part of!

A BID is a defined area where businesses work together and invest in additional services, projects and initiatives. The BID is business-led and businesses play a vital role in deciding which projects and initiatives they would like in their town centre. The BID is financed by a levy contribution from businesses determined by their rateable value, and via a formal ballot, businesses must vote in favour for the BID to go ahead.

2www.trytwickenham.com

What is a BID?

Syed Haider, Esquires Coffee Owner and Manager

Try Twickenham’s ‘Employee of the Year’ was a fantastic event for Esquires. As a relatively new business in Twickenham we were thrilled that one of our members of staff, Yaz was runner up in the Retail and Services Category and we also had the opportunity to meet and network with other local BID businesses. It was great to have such a valued colleague recognised by the wider community and Yaz’s award sits proudly on display in our shop!

A new and exciting era for Twickenham is upon us and we have so many interesting plans for the future. But for that future to move forward we need the businesses to support the Twickenham BID for another five years.

I am delighted to introduce the Twickenham Business Improvement District (BID) Business Plan for 2019-24 which sets out the objectives and goals of the BID, and what the BID wants to achieve until the end of this proposed second 5 year term. These objectives and goals are led from the consultation undertaken where many businesses gave feedback to us about what they would like to happen in a new term for Twickenham BID. You will see that we have listened to and taken these views on-board, and created this business plan with all of the Board members and directors who are Twickenham business owners themselves and who are passionate about our town.

I feel we are better placed than ever to deliver these objectives and help make Twickenham a thriving town with a stronger retail offer, flourishing restaurants and cafes, vibrant evening and night-time economy, and safe and secure business sectors in which to operate and for visitors to experience. We will set the rateable value at which

businesses within the BID area will have pay a levy, at £12,000, which is higher than our first BID term. This will mean thatbusinesses with a rateable value under £12,000 will not be in the BID. This does not mean that these businesses are not able to benefit from some the Twickenham BID services, as they can become a ‘Friend of the BID’ and pay into schemes which will provide specific services set out by the BID company. We will cap the amount that any one business will pay at £10,000 per year, as we also appreciate that larger businesses face the same issues as the smaller businesses and we want to ensure we offer and achieve value for money for all our levy payers.

BID businesses should feel extremely proud of what has been accomplished in our first term. We set out and achieved a great deal, from partnering with RingGo to offer 1 hour’s free visitor parking throughout the BID area. We also introduced free hanging baskets to all businesses on the high street to decorate the town, provided extensive en-gagement and support to the local key interest groups, as well as the wider community. The BID delivered business support, networking and training courses and secured reduced waste and recycling costs for all our levy payers. The BID


Introduction from the Chair

Stuart GreenBID Chairman Cabbage Patch Pub Landlord

secured over £11,000 of additional funding to deliver Twickenham’s award winning TryCycle event and, has each year, managed to make the town Christmas Light Switch on event bigger and better, which now stands as our BID legacy.

The BID team will continue to deliver some of these fantastic initiatives but also look to be even more business focused in its efforts, really getting into the heart of what matters to businesses. We will provide more extensive employment and recruitment support, marketing jobs and finding local skilled people to fill local BID area jobs. We will increase the marketing, promotion and support of all our levy payers, look as far forward into the future about how we, as a BID, can shape Twickenham town centre and how businesses can be supported through local economic issues and highlight their opportunities. We will ensure that Twickenham continues to be promoted as a visitor destination and will look at ways to ensure that the town centre and BID area is kept clean and attractive. We will continue to work on targeting crime and promote crime prevention by forming a Safer Town Group for retailers, and not forgetting maintaining our strong relationship with all our levy payers.

With our internationally visited town constantly changing, it is exciting times and we will continue to work closely with the Twickenham Station redevelopment project to drive more footfall into the centre of our BID area.

Please take a look at our new business driven plan for 2019.


BID Board Members

Leonna StapleBID Manager:As BID Manager it’s an amazing journey to be a part of, I am extremely passionate about how the town is perceived, maintained, and transformed and I care a great deal about the overall business environment in which businesses thrive. A second term for the Twickenham businesses will allow them to continue to use the Business Improvement District as their opportunity to decide on what they invest in, for the future of their business and their town centre.

Stuart Green, BID ChairmanCabbage Patch Pub, Landlord

Paul Cooper P Cooper & Sons, Owner

Leona LoosleyRush Hair, Franchisee and Manager

Councillor Geoff Acton Cabinet Member for Business and Economics (including property)

Alan JurianszTwickenham Health Care, Owner

Sami BaroukiSchmidt Kitchens Franchise, Owner and Managing Director

Observational Member

Susan ShawEnterprise Manager (London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames)


The last five years

Our levy payers have had the opportunity to be

promoted to over 4,000 people on our Facebook

page and over 1,600 followers on Twitter. The engagement on posts has

increased to a fantastic 3,800 per month.

Over 4,000 peopleacross the three locations

came to our Christmas Lights Switch On event

each year.

75 complaints and issues recorded and dealt with by the BID Ambassador

from 2017 - 2018.

10,000 Alfresco Guides were handed out around Twickenham to promote

the fantastic streetand garden dining.

We have given out over 30,000 leaflets and flyers to promote events and offers.

The website was updated to be more user-friendly and

mobile responsive. Through this, the website has

attracted more traffic, with event and job sections as

the most popular.

Try Twickenham businesses displayed over 160 hanging

flower baskets.

We continued working with RingGo to offer almost 100 59 minute free parking slots six days a week, Monday –

Saturday. We have increased the offer window to

between 10am & 3pm.

656 hours of BID Ambassador direct

engagement and support from 2017 - 2018.


Research and InsightThe development of this business plan included extensive consultation with the business community to identify the views and considerations of our levy payers. 50% of businesses responded to this consultation via the following methods:

1. Business consultation survey

2. Face-to-face business visits

3. Monthly BID newsletters

4. Shopper behaviour

5. Project feedback

6. Key findings

What’s important to our members?

85%said increased

monitoring of crime in the town centre

32%ranked support and

advice for business as important to them

87%said marketing

and promotion of the town centre

93%said an attractive,

clean and welcoming town centre

87%said seasonal and

celebratory events

87%said ‘spend

local’ campaigns

Research and Insight


Marketing, Promotion & Events

Enhanced Marketing and Promotion of Twickenham town centreOur research indicated this as a priority and therefore we will be putting forward the following projects to market and promote Twickenham Town Centre and the BID company:

Twickenham town centreOur businesses would like us to enhance the way we communicate the town centre offer and, importantly, stronger promotion of their business. The BID will create a strong, multi-channel marketing offer that communicates the town centre’s appeal and its businesses located within it. Raising awareness is crucial to this achievement and businesses can expect to see regular newsletters, a stronger social media presence, the opportunity to engage with a community message board, as well as feature jobs, events and information about their business on the Try Twickenham Hub Website Area.The BIDThe BID will be raising its profile by marketing and promoting the work of the BID company in new ways, including enhanced signage to highlight the BID area boundary and showcasing banners, flags, information boards and adverts in the BID area to keep businesses aware of the positive impact of the BID.

Destination ManagementThe BID will focus closely on place promotion platforms such as Visit Richmond, Richmond App, VisitTwickenham.com and visitor destination campaigns delivered by the BID in partnership with local key interest groups. It will also explore linking local leisure (Ruby Stadium, The Stoop etc) and heritage sites (York House, Orleans House Gallery, Marble Hill House etc) to the town to widen the visitor attraction potential to include Twickenham.

Place PromotionThe BID has uncovered lots of potential over the last five years with local leisure and tourism groups. Our research concluded that businesses would like the BID to enhance its offer for people to work, visit, stay and explore. The BID will therefore achieve this with the following projects:

Place Promotional CampaignsIt’s important that the BID encourages visitors, spend, tourism and increased participation. The BID will therefore continue to deliver the following local leisure activities:o Support Twickenham Town Map - Alfresco Dining Food & Drinko Evening & night-time offeringso Spend local (Twickenham Gift Card loyalty and reward scheme)

o Online publications - Twickenham Treasures o Try Twickenham BID Blog o Employment, Apprenticeship and Volunteering

Five year budget £362,117


Event sponsorship and supportThe BID will continue to recognise the current successful and well-established events within the town centre which contribute to vibrancy, and promote increased community spirit. We will also look to provide additional funding to support these events.

Supporting existing events and delivering new business-led events in the town centreTwickenham has a strong community feel to it and the BID. The business research indicated that businesses like the events delivered by the BID and would like to see more of them. Therefore the BID will focus on the following projects:

Deliver new and enhanced eventsThe BID will focus on driving an events programme each year to maintain a strong sense of community and, importantly, will enhance its marketing strategy. The outcomes of this will be to promote and deliver events in Twickenham that help create a ‘destination’ in the BID area, rather than being limited to the Rugby stadium.


Crime Monitoring and PreventionThroughout our consultation with businesses, crime monitoring and prevention was high on the agenda with businesses. The BID will therefore take the lead on delivering three key initiatives below which have proven successful in BIDs up and down the country where this issue is widespread.

Radio Link SchemeThe BID will support a Radio Link Scheme in the BID area. This will allow businesses to have a radio in their premises and communicate with sharing real-time information on crime, disturbances to businesses and anti social behaviour in the BID area.

Town ‘Retail Safe Forum Group’To allow BID businesses to share best practice and ideas, the BID will host regular ‘Retail Safe Forum Groups’. The incentive for businesses to attend these will be to have the opportunity to stay up to date with ways to prevent crime and how to best deal with it.

Working closely with the MET Police and LBRuTIt will be advantageous for the BID to build a close rapport with the Police so that the BID can impart useful discussions back to the BID area, particularly regarding the deterrence of rough sleeping and limit begging on our streets.

Maintaining an accessible town centreCar parking is a national phenomenon for town and city centres and efforts to improve this have come through in our research. We will address this in the following ways:

Car Parking InformationThe BID will continue to work with the council to ensure that clearer parking, directions and pricing information is displayed in the town centre.

Parking IncentivesThe BID will introduce a new offer which will be reduced parking for visitors and BID businesses and their customers.

Attractive, Safe & AccessibleFive year budget £362,117


Maintaining an Attractive TownA welcoming town centre is important to businesses as highlighted in our research whereby 93% of businesses said an attractive, clean and welcoming town centre is important to them. With this in mind, the BID will deliver the following projects.

Hotspot cleaningThe BID will provide a dedicated and responsive hotspot cleaner funded by the BID to provide an on-call rapid-response cleansing service for businesses in the BID area. The cleaner will also target hotspots, graffiti and high-traffic areas. This service will be in addition to current Council provision.

Additional planning and maintaining BID area green spaceThe BID will install hanging flower baskets, planters and provide additional maintenance for green space areas in the BID area.

Animating the town centreThe BID will focus on making the town centre feel invigorated where there are vacant units by seeking local artists to dress these storefronts. Where there are locations undergoing renovation, these will be ‘dressed’ with artwork, BID key messages and signage promoting Twickenham town centre.


Delivering value for BID businessesThe BID is committed to ensuring that the next five years show businesses value for their financial contribution. To live up to this, we will focus on the following projects:

Cost savingsThe BID will work towards securing cost savings on services, exclusively for its BID businesses.

Joint procurement for business cost savingsThe BID will find ways to link businesses together to trade products, services, and achieve reduced costs for common business supplies.

Engaging with businessesThe BID will enhance the engagement with levy payers through regular BID business networking sessions and meeting both direct and as a group. We will look to employ BID Street Ambassadors who act as the eyes and ears of the town centre, acting as a contact for support and reporting local issues affecting the town centre, back to the BID company, and to local key stakeholders and partners.

Connected & RepresentedFive year budget £120,705

Employment and Recruitment SupportTo BID will continue to promote vacancies and opportunities to local people and work with agencies, such as Richmond College and the St Mary’s University to help fill vacant positions. We will assist businesses with the management of vacancies helping cut costs for advertising roles.

We will explore opportunities and assistance for start-up and small businesses, and look at ways to activate underused and vacant business space in the town centre.

We will work with local charities and organisations to help promote and offer voluntary work for people with learning difficulties, disabilities, as well as people who are seeking work experience, apprenticeships in BID businesses and student placements or internships.

We are committed to actively seeking additional public funds, grants and sponsorship which will allow the BID to supplement and finance additional projects which are decided on by the Board, to the levy payers benefit.


Mike Rickard, Jo Downs Glass Design Ltd It is important that Twickenham is seen as a shopping town that offers current and potential customers a clean, safe and family friendly environment to visit. I am supporting the BID because of their efforts with the beautiful hanging baskets, parking offers and business support using Instagram, which has made a positive impact on my business and the high street.

Samantha Fÿn, Chief Executive Officer, RHLT (People Hive)As a small local charity, starting a business was pretty daunting so it was good to be welcomed to the BID. The People Hive, a high street shop with a social enterprise twist, offers retail space to local artists in the community. All profits the charity RHLT makes are ploughed back in to supporting people with learning disabilities in and around the borough of Richmond Upon Thames. The BID has offered us support in terms of providing information, and putting us in touch with people that can support us as well as welcoming us to the local Twickenham Community.


Working for our BID businessesA BID for the next five years will be committed to representing business needs. The following initiatives will be implemented to support businesses:

Business support and adviceIn order to show continual support to businesses over the next five years in a changing and competitive landscape, we will be securing offerings for free and subsidised support. This will include networking opportunities and drop-in sessions.

The BID also aims to achieve British BIDs Accreditation, the hallmark of a well-managed BID with long-standing credibility.

Training courses for businessesThe future of town centres is a hot topic on a national scale. The BID will play a part in helping businesses to thrive as much as possible by staying up to date with training opportunities. The BID will therefore host training sessions for businesses to give them the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of new opportunities.

AdvocateWe will be the voice of our levy payers and show input into all that is happening and due to happen in Twickenham town centre. The BID will act as a powerful advocate group to ensure that the needs of businesses – operational and otherwise – are represented, and that planned projects are good for the town centre and fit into its aspirations. We will also be working with local commercial agents to assist with the active marketing of vacant units, to encourage a balance in retail uses and offerings.

Advocating and Staying ConnectedThe BID will continue to aim to be a voice for Twickenham town centre by encouraging businesses to have their say on matters in the BID Area.

Saying ConnectedBuilding on existing partnerships and joint working arrangements, the BID will ensure it stays connected with both internal and external town centre environment organisations (i.e. TFL, LBRuT, RFU, British BIDs, ATCM, Richmond Chambers of Commerce).

Competing for the future Five year budget £120,705


Susan Shaw, London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames Council Richmond Council fully supports the Twickenham BID and the valuable work it is doing for the Twickenham business community. We look forward to continuing to work with the BID and making Twickenham an even greater place to shop, work and visit in the future!

Twickenham Riverside TrustThe team at Try Twickenham has been a great source of support with respect to the Twickenham Riverside Trust’s community events hosted on the Diamond Jubilee Gardens on Twickenham Riverside. The Trust has benefited from the support of Try Twickenham for at least the past four years, and we hope that we can continue to benefit from what they bring to the town. Thank you, Team Try Twickenham!

How to vote?

Businesses eligible to vote will receive a

ballot paper and will be entitled to vote from 4th January

2019.

Voting ‘YES’ will support the renewal of Twickenham town

centre Business Improvement District (BID).

If a majority are in favour, services

provided by the BID will continue and the

new term will commence in 2019.

Post your ballot paper with the pre-paid envelope provided with

your ballot paper.

Ballot papers must be returned and

received by 5pm on 31st January 2019.


The BID Area

List of streets in the BID area available online


Stuart Hobday, The ExchangeThe Try Twickenham team and service has been very useful in the process of opening The Exchange, a new theatre in Twickenham which opened in October 2017. Try Twickenham have helped build connections for us, spread the word about the new venue and greatly encouraged local businesses and residences to use our facilities and come to our events. It has been an extremely valuable service to us in getting The Exchange well established in Twickenham.

Nick Parkin, Johnsons ShoesThe BID has benefited and built up Twickenham Business. Having traded in the town under our ‘Johnsons Shoes’ Brand for over 60 years we were sceptical at first, but the result in activepromotional and marketing of the town is good. Destination stores has helped this in addition to what has gone before, making this a vibrant community and more. We look forward to continued development of the town and the focus on Independent traders to make this a destination location’.


Budget and Levy Rules

The levy rate to be paid by each property or hereditament is to be calculated as 1.5% of its rateable value as at the ‘chargeable day’ (1st March each year).

Only properties or hereditaments with a rateable value of £12,000 or more will be eligible for payment of the levy.

The number of properties or hereditaments liable for the levy is approximately 368.

From Year 2 onwards, the levy rate will be increased by the fixed rate of inflation of 2% per annum.

No hereditament will be subject to a levy of more than £10,000 (subject to the same inflation provisions as above).

Levy Rules1

Year 1 Year2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

INCOME TOTAL

BID Levy £231,946 £236,584 £241,316 £246,143 £251,065 £1,207,054

Additional Income £11,000 £11,000 £11,000 £11,000 £11,000 £55,000

Total Income £242,946 £247,584 £252,316 £257,143 £262,065 £1,262,054

EXPENDITURE

Operational costs £46,389 £47,317 £48,263 £49,229 £50,213 £241,411

Marketing, Promotion & Events £68,584 £69,975 £71,395 £72,843 £74,320 £357,117

Attractive, Safe & Accessible £68,584 £69,975 £71,395 £72,843 £74,320 £357,117

Competing for the future £22,195 £22,658 £23,131 £23,614 £24,107 £115,705

Connected & represented £23,195 £23,658 £24,131 £24,614 £25,107 £120,705

Collection of levy £11,000 £11,000 £11,000 £11,000 £11,000 £55,000

Total Expenditure £239,947 £244,583 £249,315 £254,143 £259,067 £1,250,055

Annual Surplus £ 2,999 £3,001 £3,001 £3,000 £2,998 £14,999

The levy will be charged annually in advance for each chargeable period to be March to February, starting in 2019. No refunds will be made.

The liable ratepayer of all untenanted properties or hereditaments will be liable for payment of the levy.

Premises exclusively used for the provision of medical advice funded by the National Health are exempt.

The Council will be responsible for collection of the levy. The collection charge will be £11,000; this equates to £30 per hereditament and 4.5% of anticipated billed levy.

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9


The Ballot

Accountability and Transparency

The combined authorities of Richmond and Wandsworth Councils will send those responsible for properties or hereditaments to be subject to the BID a ballot paper prior to 4th January 2019.

Each property or hereditament subject to the BID will be entitled to one vote in respect of this BID Proposal in a 28 day postal ballot which will commence on 4th January 2019, and close at 5pm on 31st January 2019. Ballot papers received after 5pm on 31st January 2019 will not be counted. The result of the ballot is due to be announced on the following day.

In order for the proposal to be successful at ballot the result will need to meet, as a minimum, two independent criteria which are of those ballots returned by the close, (a) those voting in favour of the renewal proposal must exceed those voting against it, and (b) the total rateable value of those properties or hereditaments which vote in favour, must exceed the total of those voting against.

If successful at ballot, the BID will commence delivery of services in March 2019 and will continue for a period of 5 years to February 2024.

The BID Body will be a not for profit organisation, limited by guarantee.

The Directors of the BID (the ‘Board’) shall have responsibility for governance matters such as financial arrangements, contractual obligations, human resources, standards, performance and compliance.

The Board shall appoint a Chair.

The Board may form such advisory sub-groups, primarily made up of levy payers, that from time to time become necessary.

Provided that the BID is meeting its overall objectives, it shall have the ability to vary service delivery and expenditure allocation according to the changing demands of levy payers. Provisions for Alteration Ballots apply.

The Company shall meet with the Council, as the Billing Authority, periodically to monitor service delivery, levy collection and financial management issues.

The Company will file annual accounts compiled by independent accountants with Companies House. An annual report on activities, including finances, will be published. An annual meeting for levy payers will be held.

An Operating Agreement, which includes the Council’s Baseline service commitments, has been agreed and is available at www.trytwickenham.com.

Notification of the intention to hold a ballot was sent to the Secretary of State on 8th August 2018.

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

FinancesA cautious approach has been adopted to budgeting for the BID term.

A levy collection rate of 95% has been assumed.

The average annual levy available to be spent by the BID for the term is £241,411.

Annual surpluses act as a contingency provision on expenditure and provide for an anticipated surplus of £14,999 by the end of the term. This equates to 5.9% of average annual expenditure.

Operating costs of the BID are estimated as 20% of total expenditure.

There are no costs relating to the development of the new BID that will need to be repaid during the term.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Definition: The term ‘renewal’ refers to replacement of existing BID Arrangements as at March 2019 with the new BID Arrangements described herein.

Try Twickenham BID Limited (BID Body – limited not for profit company)

In developing the rules that will apply to the renewed BID, consideration has been given to ‘The National BID Criteria’ (2018) published by British BIDs annually.

BID Rules

Visit: www.trytwickenham.com

facebook.com/trytwickenham

Ballot Day:31/01/2019Ballot Dates:

First day of Ballot:

04/01/2019

@TryTwickenham

Vote Yes for your Twickenham BID

Documents

A Business Plan for the renewal of Twickenham town centre ...trytwickenhambid.co.uk/.../try-twickenham-business-plan.pdf10,000 Alfresco Guides were handed out around Twickenham to