Northallerton BID
Northallerton Business Improvement District (BID) was established in May 2017 after a successful ballot of 208 eligible businesses. We are passionate about improving visibility of North Yorkshire’s county town and attracting more footfall to our High Street and surrounding business and shopping areas.
Northallerton Business Improvement District were re-elected in November 2021, and are now operating within their second BID tenure, which will be in place from 2022-2027.
The five key objectives of the BID are:
In 2020, we have taken a leading role in giving hands-on support to local businesses affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic. We have conducted around 500 direct engagements with businesses, helping them with everything from accessing Government grants to advising on new hygiene and safety regulations. We have also enjoyed a 70 per cent upsurge in our social media presence.
One of our big success stories in 2019 has been the weekly cardboard recycling scheme, which saves thousands of pounds for local businesses and also brings positive benefits for the environment. Our partners are local charity Northdale Horticulture, who provide training and work-based activities for adults with learning disabilities.
The BID organises major events such as Classic Car Sunday and Homefront Forties Weekend, which attract thousands of visitors to the town. It also supports the Northallerton Homegrown Food Festival and organises the annual Dog Week and other celebrations.
In 2019, we played a major role in preparations for the UCI Road World Cycling Championships on Wednesday September 25, when cycling’s biggest stars flocked to Northallerton High Street for the biggest sporting event ever to be hosted by the town. The event attracted a worldwide live TV audience of 250 million.
Members of the BID
Alex Shennib is the current BID Manager and has been in position since our re-election for a second BID tenure.
Alex has a strong background in business and supporting local organisations and is committed to enhancing Northallerton’s reputation as an ideal place to live, work and shop.
Alex (BID Manager) spent many years in the catering/hospitality industry whilst simultaneously studying for his Business Management degree. Within this time, Alex managed pubs and restaurants and has worked with a variety of different teams achieving a diverse set of goals.
Alex achieved a 1st Class Honours Degree in Business Management from Teesside University, and spent a year assisting local businesses with growth, employment and accessing different grants.
Contact Alex on 07393 445613. Or email: info@www.lovenorthallerton.com
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Chelsea Hutchinson has recently joined Northallerton Business Improvement District as an Events and Social media Assistant.
Chelsea has worked within Northallerton for over a decade which has created a wealth of knowledge for the local area and the individual business needs. She has an in-depth understanding of the creative and marketing side of business and is excited to promote Northallerton.
Being a native of Northallerton, Chelsea is a perfect addition to the BID team.
If you have any questions, please contact her on 07538 875856 or email: info@www.lovenorthallerton.com
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BID DIRECTORS
Guy Barker
Julie Hutson
Marcus Grover
Jacqui Fedyszyn
Nicky Burton
Marianna Kettlewell
Tyrone Crow
Joan Dyke
Sara Rutter
Joe Rafferty
Plan & action
Marketing: Raising our profile and our offer
Northallerton has a lot to offer but needs to sell itself better. It has an established programme of events and festivals but there are gaps during the year but there is the potential to do more to suit all users of the town and to spread the impact further along the High Street, side streets and arcades to maximise footfall and increase revenues for all businesses. The BID will look to work closely with event organisers, streets and businesses to add value and support promotional activity. It will also work with partners to develop the early evening economy.
The BID aims to:
Work with partners to promote Northallerton’s high street offer, exploring better use of marketing channels such as social media, internet, radio, TV, magazines and newspapers
Partner with current event organisers to help raise their appeal or quality and fill any gaps, to provide a year-round programme of events that are attractive to a range of audiences
Invest in new and existing street, community and cultural events throughout the town aimed at encouraging visitors and locals to discover our hidden gems and the town’s variety of independent shops, bars, cafés and restaurants
Develop the early evening economy by encouraging more late night shopping (on certain nights or at certain times of the year), open-air entertainment and cultural events aimed at encouraging visitors and people leaving work to spend more of their leisure time in the town centre.
Better business support and our offer
The BID will provide a strong collective voice for businesses in and around Northallerton High Street. It will mean every business, large or small, will have a say on important decisions affecting the trading environment.
The BID will:
Promote Northallerton as an attractive commercial destination and a great place in which to work, do business and visit through an improved web and media presence
Lobby local authorities and other public sector organisations to robustly represent the views of businesses in the BID area
Work to protect our uniqueness and, in particular, the strength and variety of the independent sector, providing training, advice and networking opportunities to give businesses the best possible chance of success
Use collective buying power to negotiate discounts on business costs such as utilities and insurance, trade waste and recycling
Secure investment from new sources and pursue leverage of additional funding
Introduce a business newsletter to keep everyone informed of developments and progress with the BID and any other assistance that may be available.
A quality appearance and environment
Northallerton, the heart of North Yorkshire, is a beautiful town set amid fantastic landscapes nestled between the Moors and Dales, but it has the potential to be even better. More needs to be done to ensure that its vitality and appearance is maintained and enhanced over the coming years so that our streets and public spaces are more attractive and vibrant than ever before.
The BID will:
Improve the gateways to the town to create a much better welcome and first impression for visitors, customers and everyone who lives and works in the area
Work to ensure empty shops and properties are properly maintained and continue to convey as positive an image as possible
Improve ease of navigation into the town and its car parks with the use of consistent, visible and appropriate signage for all areas
Introduce proper facilities for coach tours to bring more people into the town and actively encourage coach tour operators to make Northallerton a regular destination
Add to and enhance floral displays and street art and seek to introduce tree planting to improve the High Street environment
Assist with physical improvements to the public realm to make our town more welcoming and accommodating for shoppers and visitors
Undertake deep cleaning of the public realm where this isn’t provided by local authorities.
Safe and secure
Hambleton is one of the safest places in the UK. But businesses and other organisations in the town feel that we need to do more. There are concerns that anti-social behaviour and drunkenness may be discouraging people – particularly families – from visiting the town centre in the evening. Extending the town’s potential to remain open for business into the evening and have a safe and welcoming evening economy would benefit all of our businesses. We will work with partners to create a vibrant, welcoming, family-friendly town centre.
The BID will:
Appoint a team of night marshalls (initially on Friday and Saturdays). This team of easily identifiable, friendly faces would welcome visitors, report any environmental or safety issues that damage the town’s appeal and act as a reassurance to businesses, shoppers, tourists and workers that Northallerton is a welcoming and safe town at all times
Work closely with North Yorkshire Police and its Safer Neighbourhoods Team on a range of issues, especially around excessive drinking, begging and any unlicensed or intimidating street trading.
Undertake deep cleaning of the public realm where this isn’t provided by local authorities.