Emma Molyneux, Chair of the Fleet Business Forum explains the benefits of a Business Improvement District (BID) for Fleet.
View the video here.
A note from the Chair of the Fleet Business Forum
Emma Molyneux is the Chair of the Fleet Business Forum and the owner of Experience Ladieswear in Fleet and has been leading on the Fleet Business Improvement District (BID) Project. Here Emma explains why a BID is needed in Fleet.
“My family owned business has been in Fleet for over 20 years. During that time we have seen much change in Fleet as the nature of the High Street has changed – the increase in online shopping and out-of-town shopping, the High Street becoming an area where people come to eat and socialise as well as shop, work and live.
Fleet also has a number of challenges with competition from neighbouring towns increasing. Camberley, Basingstoke, Guildford, Reading and Winchester have established successful Business Improvement Districts which provides significant funding for their towns and Waverley Council has recently announced the regeneration of Farnham town centre. Farnborough and Aldershot have been identified by the M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) as of strategic importance, with significant investment planned.
In April 2015 we founded the Fleet Business Forum whose members are managers or owners of Fleet Town businesses. A Business Improvement District is a business-led and business-funded initiative which creates sustainable funding to deliver the projects that have been prioritised by businesses in Fleet. We identified this as the activity with the potential to make the biggest difference in Fleet and many businesses in the town have already pledged their support.
This business plan outlines the proposal to take forward the Fleet BID and details the projects and services that the BID might deliver based on what you have told us is important.
Voting YES for a Business Improvement District in Fleet is a way to take control of our trading environment.
Voting YES for a Business Improvement District will identify projects to secure the economic development of our town.”
Emma Molyneux
Chair, Fleet Business Forum
