Businesses from across the Colne Business Improvement District (BID) Area met at Colne Town Hall to form the BID Company following a successful ballot. Eight people put their names forward to become directors and their nominations were unanimously accepted at the meeting. The Colne BID Board directors are:

• Mark Bateman, proprietor of The Bookshop
• Cty Cllr Joe Cooney (representing Pendle Borough Council)
• Emma Cornish, manager of the Co-op
• Liam Gregg, manager of The Wallace Hartley
• Peter Jagger, proprietor of Stell’s Famous Pet Store
• Joanne Peasey, proprietor of Uptown Boutique
• Grahame Wharton, chairman of the Colne Town Centre Forum and former proprietor of Grahame’s Poultry
• Stuart Wilson, proprietor of Coversure Insurance

Grahame Wharton explained: “The formation of the BID Board comes hot on the heels of the ballot across the central commercial district of Colne earlier in the summer. The result showed how strongly businesses wanted to form the BID, with 87 in favour out of 117 votes cast, plus the majority of the aggregate rateable value.”
Emma Cornish said: “We’ve already formed a WhatsApp group to share ideas and we want to hit the ground running, so our next meeting, when we’ll elect a chairman and deal with other practical issues, is set for 25th September.”
BIDs run for five years and are not-for-profit bodies who seek to improve business within a defined area. The directors ensure the business plan is delivered effectively and efficiently to give the best value for the levy payers, who pay 1.5% of their total rateable value into the BID. Research prior to the BID ballot showed that businesses in Colne shared views on four broad areas of improvement:

• Pride in Colne – improving the look of the town
• Promoting Colne – marketing what the town has to offer to the local area and beyond
• Partnership in Colne – working together to deal with issues swiftly and to develop bulk purchase schemes
• Protect Colne -working closely with the Police and other stakeholders to make the town safer with lower levels of crime

Stuart Wilson commented: “Now we are businesses working together for the good of Colne, but we wouldn’t have got this far without help from Pendle Borough Council. We are proud to be the first BID formed in Pendle and are determined to make a swift and positive impact!”
It is expected that the Colne BID will raise approximately £500,000 to improve business in the town centre over its first five-year term. After that, businesses must vote again to decide whether to enter into a second term.