About the BID

About BIDs

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) were introduced to the United Kingdom after successes across the world, including in places such as Canada, the United States and Australia.

Set up following legislation in 2004, they have been instrumental in enhancing the economic and social fabric of their respective areas by bringing together businesses, local authorities, and other stakeholders. Led by voluntary and private-sector driven Directors, they provide a platform for collective action and collaboration and they help to address common challenges, promote business growth, and create a vibrant environment for both residents and visitors.

Today, BIDs continue to evolve and expand their scope, addressing new challenges such as sustainability, digital transformation, and the impact of COVID-19. They have become an important tool for partnership working between businesses, local authorities, and other stakeholders, driving positive change and contributing to the overall vitality and success of cities and towns throughout the UK.

Making a Difference for Our Town

The Brighouse BID was set up in 2019, established by a vote of businesses with a mandate built on the town’s strong character and rich history to create a place residents want to visit all the time, and a place where those from further afield want to make plans to visit, and then return regularly.

A vote in November 2023 renewed the mandate for a second BID for the term 2024-2029.

When the proposal was written for the BID, no-one could have predicted what would have happened within 12 months as the Covid-19 pandemic struck, we were all told to stay at home, shops and businesses were forced to close, and town centres were empty.

As restrictions eased, we have been working hard to support all our town centre businesses bounce back – by reintroducing events and activities to encourage visitors to return, by making Brighouse as attractive a place as possible, and by being a voice for those hard-working shops, venues and firms who do not feel they have been supported by decisions made beyond our town.

We know asking hard-pressed businesses for a levy payment can be a big ask, but those who pay can be assured the levy is money from Brighouse, to be invested for Brighouse, in Brighouse.

Those who pay can also be assured of the impact it is having on the BID’s key priorities for 2019-2024 – making Brighouse a destination town, family-friendly, and clean, safe and secure for shoppers, visitors and business owners.

From Valentine’s campaigns, town centre maps and FiverFest, to Halloween trails, Win the Window competitions and Christmas gift guides, the Brighouse BID has been committed to campaigns that benefit the whole town centre.

Over recent years, we have installed colourful Visit Brighouse branded lamp post banners around the town centre, paid for deep cleaning and extra colour through more planting and flowers, restarted our popular Artisan Markets, reintroduced our 1940s Weekend and introduced a Dinosaur Spectacular.

We also ensure a packed town centre at one of the most important times of the year for our retailers – our Christmas Market weekend, which includes the switch-on of the town’s Christmas Lights, and funded a brand new Brighouse Gift Card with dozens of shops, venues and businesses signed up to the scheme which aims to increase the number of visitors who come to Brighouse to enjoy and spend.

Supporting this has been the development of our Visit Brighouse brand which manages the promotion of the town, its shops, businesses and venues, plus events and activities across our website and social media. In the year to 30 June 2023, our Facebook and Instagram channels reached nearly 300,000 on Facebook (up 70% in 12 months) and 35,000 on Instagram (up 16% in 12 months). These channels are solely managed by the BID team.

There have also been efforts to support every business through the likes of free workshops and being the voice of the town’s business community at a time of change with separate schemes which are not a part of the BID, but directly impact our levy payers.

Examples of these include the A641 project, the Town Deal and Wellholme Park Flood Alleviation scheme– all independent from what we do, but with the potential to have a huge impact on Brighouse. We receive no funding from those pots of money, but without the BID there would be no voice of business able to stand up collectively for our town’s business community.

To ensure we are maximising the opportunities of the BID, we are a member of the British BIDs organisation, so we have advice and support, and our Brighouse project team regularly liaise with other BID towns across Yorkshire and the UK to discuss trends and learn more about initiatives to ensure we share best practice and maximise the impact of the investment from levy payers.

The BID Zone

The BID zone is the area within the black line on the map. All services and improvements are additional to those already provided by Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, set out through baseline statements agreed between Brighouse BID and the Council.

  • BETHEL STREET
  • BRADFORD ROAD*
  • BRIDGE ROAD
  • BRIGGATE
  • CANAL STREET
  • CHAPEL COURT
  • CHURCH LANE
  • CLIFTON ROAD*
  • COMMERCIAL STREET
  • DAISY STREET
  • GANNY ROAD
  • GROVE STREET
  • HALIFAX ROAD*
  • HALL STREET
  • HEATON STREET
  • HIGH STREET
  • HUDDERSFIELD ROAD*
  • KING STREET
  • LAWSON ROAD
  • MARKET STREET
  • MARTIN STREET
  • MILL LANE
  • MILL ROYD STREET
  • OAK HILL ROAD*
  • OWLER INGS ROAD*
  • PARK ROW
  • PARK STREET
  • PARSONAGE LANE*
  • PHOENIX STREET
  • SHIP STREET
  • THORNTON SQUARE
  • UPPER BONEGATE
  • WAKEFIELD ROAD*
  • WELLINGTON ARCADE
  • WEST PARK STREET
  • WHARF STREET
  • WOOD STREET

* part of this road is included, please check the map in section 5. For any specific enquiries about whether a property is covered, please contact the BID team on 01484 937 006.