Peterborough’s Business Improvement District (BID) has been returned for a second five‑year term after an overwhelming vote by levy‑paying businesses, but some shopkeepers and visitors remain uncertain about what the organisation delivers on the ground.
Renewed mandate, familiar questions
The BID, which operates under the banner of Peterborough Positive, is funded through a levy paid by more than 300 city centre businesses. Its renewed mandate secures the BID’s role in delivering a mix of services agreed in its business plan — from street cleaning and safety initiatives to events and marketing aimed at boosting visitor numbers.
Chief operating officer Pep Cipriano welcomed the result and argued the BID’s value is best measured by how the city centre would look and feel without it. He pointed to the organisation’s work on cleanliness, graffiti removal and acting as “eyes and ears” in the centre by reporting issues quickly to the council or police.
“Actually, we are a business focused organisation but our mission is also to make people feel comfortable in a city that is clean, a safe place to be and a city to which they want to return.”
What the BID lists as priorities
The re‑elected BID’s business plan emphasises several strands of activity:
- Improving safety and visible presence in the city centre
- Running events to attract more visitors
- Maintaining cleanliness and rapid removal of graffiti
- Marketing to draw people from outside Peterborough
Mr Cipriano said BID staff routinely report problems to partners and co‑ordinate clean‑up efforts, using community payback teams for easy‑to‑access graffiti and commissioning professional teams for more difficult work. He also said he is lobbying for more regular deep cleaning to tackle ingrained vehicle oil and grease stains.
Funding and the Pride in Place grant
A further element of the BID’s remit is to advise how the £1.2 million Pride in Place government grant will be spent. The funding is intended to support improvements to public spaces and bring new attractions to the city centre — a role that places the BID at the centre of strategic decisions about public realm investment.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number of levy‑paying businesses | More than 300 |
| Pride in Place grant | £1.2 million |
| Term length | Five years (renewed) |
Local reaction and lingering scepticism
Despite the decisive vote, not all city centre stakeholders are convinced the BID’s impact is obvious to everyday visitors. Some question whether the activities funded by the levy are sufficiently visible or whether they primarily benefit businesses rather than shoppers.
The BID maintains that its work benefits individual visitors by making the centre cleaner and safer, and by creating reasons to return through events and marketing. How the next five years translate into visible improvements will be watched closely by traders, council officers and residents alike as plans for the Pride in Place funding and other initiatives are developed.
Contact details for BID proposals and plans are available via Peterborough Positive for businesses and members of the public seeking further information on specific projects.
