Royston’s Business Improvement District Figures Revealed
What's to happen to Royston's High Street? Photo: Grace Thompson
Over £830,000 has been paid into Royston’s Business Improvement District in the last four years, it has been revealed.
A Freedom of Information request to North Hertfordshire District Council has shown the annual amount has grown from £192,064 in 2015 to £205,890 in 2018.
The BID has been overseen by business organisation Royston First since 2009, with the support of North Herts District Council.
The money is used to improve Royston’s High Street and the town’s industrial area.
Individual businesses pay into the BID to support their retail locations and bring more customers into the town.
Chairman of Royston First David Campbell said: “We’ve had some outstanding successes in our first five-year term.”
“They include a community cinema in the newly-refurbished Town Hall; enhanced policing that has helped achieve some of the lowest crime stats in the country and the Free After 3 parking, which fills car parks that were previously empty in the late afternoons.”
For local shop owners, it seems to be a different story.
Michael Gowen, owner of The Stationery Cupboard on Royston’s High Street said: “I think it’s had a mixed effect.
A Freedom of Information request to North Hertfordshire District Council has shown the annual amount has grown from £192,064 in 2015 to £205,890 in 2018.
The BID has been overseen by business organisation Royston First since 2009, with the support of North Herts District Council.
The money is used to improve Royston’s High Street and the town’s industrial area.
Individual businesses pay into the BID to support their retail locations and bring more customers into the town.
Chairman of Royston First David Campbell said: “We’ve had some outstanding successes in our first five-year term.”
“They include a community cinema in the newly-refurbished Town Hall; enhanced policing that has helped achieve some of the lowest crime stats in the country and the Free After 3 parking, which fills car parks that were previously empty in the late afternoons.”
For local shop owners, it seems to be a different story.
Michael Gowen, owner of The Stationery Cupboard on Royston’s High Street said: “I think it’s had a mixed effect.
Infographic created by Grace Thompson to illustrate Royston's BID figures.
“When it first started there was more emphasis on the town centre and specific projects to help the retailers and over the period of time the money seems to have been spent all over the place for some causes that perhaps they shouldn’t be used for.”
Hanna Suma, a partner at H&C Jewellers in Royston’s High Street said: “I don’t feel very enthusiastic about it.
“I feel things could be managed better. I think we need more transparency as we don’t know what the budget is for any of the projects in the town.”
The BID is due for renewal in February, local business owners will either vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to carrying on in the upcoming ballot.
Hanna Suma, a partner at H&C Jewellers in Royston’s High Street said: “I don’t feel very enthusiastic about it.
“I feel things could be managed better. I think we need more transparency as we don’t know what the budget is for any of the projects in the town.”
The BID is due for renewal in February, local business owners will either vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to carrying on in the upcoming ballot.
