Canterbury‘s award-winning Business Improvement District celebrates a decade of service to Kent’s UNESCO World Heritage City.
Nearly 10 years ago, Canterbury was the first location in Kent to welcome a Business Improvement District (BID). Following two successful five-year terms, Canterbury BID has invested over £5 million into the city through a combination of BID levy, commercial income, voluntary contributions, sponsorship and grants.
Canterbury BID is now recognised nationally as a leading UK placemaking organisation, with several awards under its belt. CEO, Lisa Carlson, is also Chair of the Association of Town and City Management Board and is part of the High Streets Task Force Sector Leaders Group, regularly joining the All Party Parliamentary Group for Towns and City Centres.
Canterbury BID is dedicated to supporting the city’s business community. Lisa Carlson explains:
“We’re focused on improving the trading environment and playing our part in promoting the city as a place to live, work, invest and relax. We’re here to encourage locals and visitors to make the most of our beautiful city and its fantastic culture, heritage, retail and hospitality, and our goal is to help support and facilitate business success.”
BID has been delivering a wide variety of projects for Canterbury. These include, Christmas lights, hanging flower baskets, marketing campaigns, printed guides and maps, cleaning schemes, large scale events and free business training and networking.
BID has been busy positioning Canterbury as an award-winning city by gaining Purple Flag accreditation each year (similar to the Blue flag for beaches, but referencing our evening and nighttime economy), achieving Gold in South and South East in Bloom and, most recently, rolling out Best Bar None accreditations for local hospitality businesses.
As the BID starts planning for its 10th anniversary, inward investment is a top priority. This year Canterbury BID has taken over the running of Visit Canterbury in partnership with Visit Kent and Canterbury City Council. Lisa explains why:
"Many tourism websites now interweave their inward investment messaging through their website and social media platforms, as this marketing tool is essential to sell the area. Quality of life and destination appeal is a big factor when businesses look to relocate so it will be important that the new platform provides content that shows Canterbury as an attractive place to live, work, study, invest and visit."
Why invest in Canterbury?
Prime location - Canterbury boasts excellent transport links to London, Europe, and beyond. Situated just 55 minutes away from London via high-speed rail.
Multifunctional city - Canterbury is home to a diverse mix of businesses and has seen a 36% growth in independent retailers moving to city centre units over the last 10 years. There is a steady footfall throughout the year thanks to its mix of retail, business, tourism, cultural offering and education.
Canterbury.co.uk
Over £300 million investment in Canterbury over the last 7 years in. Projects have included a new Kent and Medway Medical School; the Riverside Development featuring accommodation and hospitality; a new 129-room Hampton by Hilton Hotel with rooftop terrace restaurant; development and restoration of Canterbury Cathedral and welcome centre; the new Malthouse theatre; student accommodation across the city, plus investment in the Marlowe KIT to create a fully functioning cultural hub overseen by the Marlowe Theatre. Recently, Canterbury City Council was successful in round 2 of Levelling Up, resulting in an additional £19.9 million investment to transform Canterbury’s public spaces and heritage to a standard that reflects its status as an international visitor destination and World Heritage Site.
A highly qualified working population – nearly half of employees are educated to degree level or above in Canterbury. Up to 10,000 new graduates and postgraduates leave the city’s universities every year. Local businesses also have the opportunity to create partnerships with academia, benefitting from cutting-edge research.
Attractive destination - Canterbury is a vibrant city centre with an abundance of green spaces, cultural attractions and a rich history make it an attractive destination for professionals and families. Property prices have increased by 27.9%* between 2017-2022, so now is the time to buy!
It is perfectly placed as a location to live, work, invest and visit.
Canterburybid.co.uk
*according to Kent Property Market Report 2022
photo credit: John Hippisley
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