Together we can shape the city.
With an investment of over £2.5 million to shape the future of Canterbury.
Canterbury city centre is a significant location not just for the businesses that are based here but for the wider business community across East Kent and beyond. For a city of our size, we attract more visitors than anywhere else in the south east outside London, we are a centre of excellence for education and we are a hub (and home) for a wide range of businesses.
But we all know that it needs investment: in marketing, in developing new festivals and events, in deep cleaning the streets and subways, in getting hanging baskets up in summer and Christmas lights back in winter and in working with our businesses to help them trade here profitably, employ more people and invest in the city. And we also know that money to do these things is no longer available from local or central government so as businesses, we have to ‘step up to the plate’ if we want them to happen.
Canterbury city centre is a very important place for all of us.
As part of the Canterbury business community for the past 35 years I am proud to lead the shadow Business Improvement District (BID) Board and to help campaign for a BID in the city. I am passionate about Canterbury and believe that a BID is our best chance to do all the things that we know will make a real, positive difference to our city.
I know that for many of you the concept of a BID will be a new one so by way of summary I would simply tell you that assuming we vote ‘yes’ and work together, a total of over £2.5 million of ring-fenced funds will be raised over the next five years and ploughed back into Canterbury to make it an even better place for us all.
Our BID Mission Statement is:
“Canterbury will be a vibrant, exciting, well connected and successful business community; an attractive, green, safe and enjoyable destination for customers and clients, shoppers and staff, residents, students and visitors; a profitable place in which to do business.”
For me, that says it all.
Clive Relf. BID Shadow Board Chairman. Tax Partner at Reeves
