About Us

A Business Improvement District for the the heart of Hitchin has been made possible by national legislation. This permits local businesses to form a partnership, in conjunction with the local authority, to improve the trading environment around their premises. It is paid for by levying a small charge based on the UBR, the nationally generated council tax to pay for services delivered to businesses by each local authority.

North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) collects business rates on behalf of National Government who then return a small part of what is raised to meet the cost of the council's statutory services. All business and commercial organisations that pay business rates in the BID area were able to vote on the detailed propositions and the funding mechanism to pay for them.

A simple majority of all the votes returned (by number and by rateable) generated the mandate for the BID Company to come into being and to levy all rate-paying businesses within the BID area, by law. It then became compulsory for all businesses to pay the levy, regardless of whether they voted, or not, and whether they voted in favour, or not.

These were the propositions put forward before the BID vote: 

• INCREASED FOOTFALL – The BID will encourage more people for extended stays – clean, safe, welcoming and promoted.
• UNIFORMED ON-STREET PRESENCE – helping to reduce business loss through theft, criminal damage and anti-social behaviour.
• DEDICATED MARKETING AND EVENT BUDGET – a consistent and known amount of funding to deliver an agreed plan including quality Christmas and Summer marketing and events.
• NEW INVESTMENT – The BID will actively seek new investment to raise the quality and overall appearance of the town while encouraging new start-up businesses into empty units.
• INCREASED BUSINESS – through campaigns on extended hours, ‘shop local’, targeted cheap/free car parking periods and a deliberate policy of sourcing services and materials locally only.
• ADDITIONAL FUNDS – experience in other BID's shows a high success rate in levering in other funds as well as the levy cash to give even better value for money to every single business ratepayer.
• KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS – have been determined for every planned activity and will be reported regularly as part of the BID's constant communications to levy payers.
• EMPLOYMENT – The BID will work closely with Councils and other major employers to ensure that the town centre continues to attract and retain quality staff.
• EQUITABLE – All businesses in Hitchin will pay a small sum into a collective kitty to spend on agreed actions to improve the town’s trading environment.
• DEDICATED – All monies collected will be used for the sole purpose of improvement. The levy for the BID will be collected by the Council at no charge to the BID company and will be handed over to the BID's board (elected by business people from the business community) to be reinvested in Hitchin.