Scheme to boost business in Northampton town centre

A scheme to boost business in the centre of Northampton is to go before councillors.

The borough council is being asked to support the town centre becoming Business Improvement District (BID).

It would involve asking businesses to pay an extra levy in rates that goes into a pot to be spent on improving and promoting the area.

Local businesses are being asked to vote on whether they want to create a BID, which would be managed by them.

'Vibrant future'

The pot of money could be used to create a cleaner, more welcoming town centre; provide better promotion and marketing of businesses in the town and support initiatives to reduce the costs of items like insurance, electricity and gas.

Council leader Brian Hoare, who is also chair of the Town Centre Partnership, said: "We are strongly supporting local businesses in every way we can to make sure that Northampton is a town with a vibrant future as a commercial centre.

"There has been a buzz in town this summer and setting up a BID is a great way for businesses to ensure that the number of visitors to the town continues to grow."

The plans go before the council's cabinet on Wednesday.