Home

Search

Have your say

What is the best location for the new museum and art gallery?

	Castle Street
	Royal Mail sorting office adjacent to the old town car park
	Midmills building
	Bridge Street
	Northern meeting park

#Visitors

Subscribe to Feed

New BID
Rates Reduction
Year Planner
Banner Advertising
BID Levy

Inverness has been given £20,000 by the Scottish Government to build on the success of the City Centre BID to establish the viability of a second BID in Inverness. This second BID is being spearheaded by the Inverness B&B association and if it receives a successful yes vote in 2010 they would focus on marketing Inverness to visitors from the UK and abroad. The £20,000 will be used to establish the BID business plan and run a demonstration project to show the projects the BID could undertake if it was created.

Inverness BID has been working closely with the Highland Council to make sure that businesses in the area that have been directly affected by the Streetscape works are compensated through a reduction in their rateable value. These businesses are in Union Street, Queensgate, Drummond Street, Church Street and Baron Taylor Street. At least 80 businesses should be eligible for up to a 10% reduction. Confirmation of the first of these reductions has recently been sent out and the BID welcomes the fact that the Highland Council has listened to the concerns of the businesses in this area.

By now you should have received the Inverness BID year wall planner. It contains important events that will take place over the 2009/10 financial year. On the back of the wall planner there is also a review of the work Inverness BID undertook in 2008, as it was reported by the press. If you haven’t received your copy then please don’t hesitate to give the BID office a ring on 01463 714550 and one will be sent out to you.

Your opportunity to promote your business within the City Centre. Inverness BID is offering businesses the opportunity to use large lamppost banners in the City Centre to promote themselves. For full details of costs, locations and timings just contact the BID team by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or download the application forms here.

Your business or property may be liable for the BID levy if it is within the BID area.

The levy will be calculated on 1% of the non domestic rateable value of each property and will be split 50:50 between the property owner and the occupier.

Check here to see if your business is liable

Under the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 (Business Improvement Districts Levy) Order 2007, liable businesses must pay the BID levy: please visit www.bids-scotland.co.uk for more information. The invoice is your BID Levy which you are legally obliged to pay.

Zulu Dancers in Inverness

Inverness BID and Eastgate Shopping centre hosted, in June, a group of African Zulu Dancers. The Zulu dance is a sign of happiness it's done when there is a Zulu wedding, inauguration of a king, when a child is born, when a war is won, the testing of virgins. The dance is taught to young girls and boys while in an early age.

The Zulu people love to sing and tell stories to children known as "izinganekwane" this stories are normally about animals. The Young Zulu Warriors are a young, vibrant and soulful group of Zulu gospel singers and dancers from South Africa. The group of boys and girls was formed at God's Golden Acre, KwaZulu Natal in 2000 and has since dazzled audiences internationally with their foot-stomping, pulsating and meaningful performances which portray aspects of their lives and homeland.

What you are telling us!

Inverness BID is an organisation that is run by business, for business. One of the ways the BID team knows how to target resources is by the use of surveys to gauge the business community’s opinion on a range of subjects.

Responding to a survey about the Winter Festival you told us that you haven’t found any differences between this year when the festival was run by the Highland Council and last years when it was run by the BID pilot project. You also added that your turnover has been static.

With regard to events in the City centre, you think that there should be more events of all kinds planned throughout the year, and that these would work best at weekends during the day (9am- 5pm). You also thought that there should be more advertising for events.

The majority of you are interested in a coordinated City Centre Sunday opening to coincide with the Christmas Lights switch on in December 2009 as it seems it had no effect on your turnover this year. Finally, you feel that now buses have returned to Union Street your prospects have significantly improved.

Inverness BID will conduct surveys regularly to make sure that the resources that you give us are targeted on what you think will be of greatest benefit to your business.

Interview with David Haas

The Highland Council’s Inverness City Manager

The Highland Council’s Inverness City Manager Talking about his work he said: “My job is to look after the seven Council Wards that make up the Inverness area, including Inverness Central which contains the City Centre. I make sure that the Councillors are kept up to date with all the issues in the City Centre so that, as elected representatives, they can apply their scrutiny. I work with all the departments of the Council to ensure the efficient delivery of our services within the City.

I also administer the Inverness Committee which controls the Inverness Common Good fund which helps many deserving causes, including the flower displays in the City Centre.

I have been working very closely with the Inverness BID team over the past year to make sure that they get access to the right people and services within the Council. The BID team and I have regular meetings once every two weeks. As most of the people who receive this newsletter are BID levy payers, you will notice that the Council collects this money on the BID Company’s behalf. We also worked in partnership with the BID team to spearhead new initiatives such as recent “Operation Respect” which proved to be a great success.

I am looking forward to working with the BID team to make the City Centre a place for everyone to enjoy, relax and spend time in

Inverness First City in Scotland to pioneer BID.

BIDs are areas where businesses come together to invest communally in projects, which will strengthen their trading environment.

Inverness City Centre has taken the lead to create the first Business Improvement District in Scotland. Inverness BID is funded by you and run by you, the businesses in the City Centre.

The business community decided to create a BID by popular demand in March, when 82% of businesses voted in favour of the proposals. The BID will last until 2012 and the key objectives are to make the City Centre safer, cleaner and better promoted. The BID will also act as a voice for the City Centre to ensure that all the businesses in the area are getting their fair share of the Council’s and the government’s resources. So if there’s something on your mind then please get in touch with the office directly, a BID Ambassador or contact your local BID Street Champion.