FAQs

FAQs

Q. Is Living Lancaster a City Council project?

A. No. It is an independent scheme where businesses invest in the city centre to improve the conditions for trading, working and living. This is called a Business Improvement District (BID) and it is an initiative that has been successfully adopted by many city centres across the UK.

Q. Who decides where this investment is spent?

A. Every business within the area has an opportunity to prioritise their concerns through a questionnaire which will be used to formulate a business plan.

Q. How much will it cost me?

A. 1.5% of the Rateable Value of your business. This levy will be collected through the rates system and then given to the Living Lancaster Board to fulfil the agreed business plan.

Q. How much does this board get paid?

A. Nothing. Every penny will be spent on tangible projects

Q. How long does it last?

A. Three years initially but there is an opportunity to extend it for a further period of time if it’s deemed a success.

Q. Who is ‘Living Lancaster’?

A. The current steering group is a voluntary group of enthusiastic supporters of the idea that have been discussing how to improve the city centre for quite some time. They represent businesses including independent traders, big high street brands, solicitors, banks, shopping arcade managers, a representative of the City Council, theatres, charities, media, the Chamber of Commerce, pubs etc.

Q. What will the money be spent on?

A. That’s up to you and the responses to the questionnaires. Common areas of agreement at this stage are enhancing the environment, employment of a city centre manager, increased safety, more marketing of the city as a retail and leisure destination, better and more events to stimulate activity.

Q. I pay a lot of rates already. Isn’t all that supposed to be done by the Council?

A. All our work will be over and above the service level that the City and County Councils provide. Everything we do will be something that would not be done if the Business Improvement District fails to become a reality.

Q. When would it start?

A. There will be an opportunity for every business within the BID Zone to vote on the setting up of the BID in autumn 2012.  If successful, work will start soon after with the BID being introduced from April 2013. 

Q. Do the City Council like this idea?

A. They welcome the scheme and their representative on the steering group is there to ensure co-ordination between their strategies and the objectives of the BID.  

Creating a Business Improvement District (BID) in Lancaster City Centre