Message as reported in the Buxton Advertiser, 23rd November 2017
Most businesses in the town and your readers will now be aware that several months ago Vision Buxton began a project to establish whether Buxton should join the hundreds of British towns and city areas that have introduced Business Improvement Districts. The aim of the towns that have joined has been, in return for a small additional annual levy on most businesses, to pay for and manage additional services to make their town centres more attractive and better places for residents and for visitors.
These additional services are those that cannot and will not be provided by the local councils, and can include better Christmas lights, annual events, improvements to the streetscape and increased marketing to attract more visitors.
We all know how much Buxton has changed in recent times, especially since the arrival of the University over ten years ago which added greatly to the economic performance of the town. And we know that the opening of the Crescent in 2019 will have a similar if not bigger impact on our town with shops, pubs, restaurants and many other types of business in a position to take full advantage of the opportunities and challenges that will arise.
We should soon have the results of the feasibility study Vision Buxton commissioned, and the report will act as a guide for us to decide whether we feel Buxton has the appetite to take the project to the next stage. We know that there are many Buxton businesses out there that fully support the concept of a Business Improvement District for our town. Equally we know that there is a small but vocal minority which is very suspicious of the whole concept and wishes Vision Buxton and the town would simply drop the whole thing.
However, Vision Buxton supported by a number of local businesses and run by volunteers, remains sure that much of the service it provides including the Visit Buxton website, Town Guide and support for Group Travel, should be expanded, put on a more professional footing and managed by all the retail and hospitality businesses which have most to gain from the bright future that Buxton has in store.