Monthly Insights by
Prof. Chris Turner

"This is the last insight of 2025, and I wish you a very happy Christmas and a very prosperous new year.

The BID community continues to be busy, and much is happening at a policy and strategic level, as well as some of the critical day-to-day tasks involving new rateable values and BID levy amounts…"

"There is much happening in the BID community at the moment, as we enter the middle of the golden quarter and the run-up to Christmas.

The Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government announced at our annual conference in London at the beginning of the month that there would be a consultation document on electronic voting for BIDs; this was mentioned in the Pride in Place strategy [§93] and will make ballots easier and save BIDs time and money…"

"This autumn run up to the Golden Quarter feels frantically busy with government policy documents and other matters requiring attention.

Much of the content of this Month’s Insight is alerts and links to funding schemes and management and administrative changes that BID managers might find useful..."

"September is here with a vengeance, and we are in the run up to the ‘golden quarter’ and the usual busy time for BIDs, with festive lights and events and managing the enormous range of different experiences in our towns and city centres. It is also a time, with a new government and much change, for some serious strategic matters to come to the fore for our analysis and thinking…"

"We sometimes assume that August is a quieter month, but the reality is it is busier than ever! Although parliament is in recess, much is happening by way of the Devolution bill and its impact on BIDs, updates on Accommodation BIDs and tourism taxes and some very evolving and changing models of what is happening on the High Street…"

"As ever, in the run up to the parliamentary recess, there is much new government policy emerging for consultation and discussion. Much of this will affect Business Improvement Districts over the next few years…"

"As we approach Midsummer’s Day, there is as ever a large amount happening that will have an impact on the BID community over the next few months and years. Much of this is coming from the government taking forward new projects, but some is also coming from BIDs themselves as they develop and become increasingly strategic leaders. As ever I will try to provide links and brief synopses of some of these activities…"

"The early summer is bringing much new government policy, economic change and a raft of interesting research and development activities. As ever I will try to pick up as many of these here as possible and provide the links to where further information is made available…"

"New governments bring new things! British BIDs have been much involved in several policy responses this month; the Transforming Business Rates Review, the Devolution White Paper, a new Crime and Policing Bill and a new Employment Bill. As all four of these impact on BIDs in one way or another, much of this month's Insight covers these matters, although as ever much else is going on and is discussed here..."

"Much is happening currently in government and local authorities which will impact on Business Improvement Districts. The government's devolution white paper is now being taken forward, with responses from local authorities and many key decisions already being made..."

"Welcome to the January Insight for 2025 and a Happy New Year to BIDs and their supporters across the British Isles. As you would expect, over Christmas and New Year, the BID ballot activity has been very slight, but ballots are now coming up and we're expecting some seventeen in the next few months, with the first, Tweed Valley ballot, closing on January 16th..."