Annual Report 2010/2011 Croydon Business Improvement District Croydon BID Annual Report 2010-11 Contents About Croydon BID About Croydon BID 3 Since its formation in April 2007, the Croydon Town Centre Business Improvement District (Croydon BID) has been Chairman’s Statement 4 working to improve the experience of those working, shopping, visiting and doing business in our Town Centre. Chief Executive’s Statement 5 Our projects and services reflect the The projects and services we Projects: priorities identified by businesses delivered during 2010-11 were as being crucial for the town’s funded through a mandatory Safe & Secure 7 commercial prosperity, namely: levy of 1.038% collected from all businesses within the BID area • Those who use the Town Centre Clean & Attractive 9 with a rateable value of £40,000 should feel safe and secure or more and generating an income of £1.264 million. This was Perception & Image 11 • The Town Centre should be kept supplemented by additional cash clean and made more attractive and in-kind contributions worth Festivals & Events 13 • The image and perception of approximately £500,000. Croydon Town Centre should Accessibility 15 Croydon BID is one of the largest be improved geographical BIDs in the country Facilitation 17 • Visitor numbers should increase covering the entire Town Centre. We represent approximately 580 levy Financial Summary 18 • The Town’s accessibility should paying organisations which include be improved and way-finding many well-known brands and How We Are Structured 19 made easier businesses in the retail, office, leisure, hospitality and public sectors. • Businesses should have a strong and representative voice on Town Centre issues 2 Croydon BID Annual Report 2010-11 3 Chairman’s Statement Chief Executive’s Statement I am pleased to report another successful year of The twelve months under review were both eventful and achievement for Croydon Town Centre BID, the fourth of challenging; nevertheless, I am pleased and proud to our current five year term. say that the BID team made visible and demonstrable improvements in all of the priority areas identified by Despite continuing tough Since the end of the financial businesses as being important for enabling the Town economic conditions, the BID team year, Ros Morgan, our Chief continued to make good progress Executive has resigned in order Centre to thrive. towards making our Town Centre to take up a similar role with We continued to listen and Under the present economic a more appealing place to work, Kingston Town Centre BID. Ros respond to feedback received circumstances, it is clear that shop, visit and do business. Their has played a major part in the from businesses, employees, there is an increasingly important hard work and achievements are success of our BID during its first residents and visitors and used this role for the BID to play in ensuring acknowledged in this report. five year term and I would like to to help inform our activities and standards are maintained, thank her for her hard work and shape future plans. It is therefore improvement continues and we I would like to thank members of the commitment and wish her every particularly gratifying to learn make the most of opportunities to Croydon BID Board who represent success in her new appointment. major sectors of the Town Centre from independent research* that promote our Town Centre. Working community and give their time and As we were about to publish people increasingly are noticing closely with our key partners in the expertise freely and generously this report, some of Croydon’s how Croydon is changing for public and private sectors and with to the BID. The Board ensures that businesses had become victims the better. The results indicate, for the strong support of our Board, the our Business Plan properly reflects of the criminal destruction and example, that 50% of businesses BID team looks forward to another business’ priorities and members theft that was prevailing across and almost a third of visitors are successful year for Croydon BID. regularly review progress and the country. The BID company will able to spontaneously cite specific expenditure on projects with the BID work closely with the Police, the improvements they have noticed team. In recognition of the difficult Council and businesses to restore over the past year with increased economic conditions that many confidence and progress in our policing levels, the general businesses continue to face, the Town Centre. appearance of the area, less litter Ros Morgan Board has agreed the annual levy and more and better events being BID Chief Excutive rate for the 2011-12 financial year highest amongst them. is reduced to 1%. We believe we can continue to contain costs and Joe Rowe achieve savings wherever possible, BID Chairman without impacting on levels of service. *Source: Keep Britain Tidy Research – Business & User Perceptions of Croydon Town Centre, July 2011 4 Croydon BID Annual Report 2010-11 5 Our Key Safe & Secure Achievements Reducing crime and improving public perceptions 4% of safety remain our top priority. Through our close reduction in reported crime association with key partners including the Metropolitan during the year Police, Croydon Council, the Safer Croydon Partnership and the Joint Agency Group we delivered a wide range of initiatives across the year to deter and tackle Town Centre 12% crime, reduce business losses and provide a highly visible Shoplifting re-offending rates security presence. compared to the national average of 20% What we delivered: • Funded five extra police officers • Worked to improve perceptions 80 dedicated to Town Centre policing of safety by raising awareness of people housed as a result of bringing the total number of Town the wide range of crime prevention targeting rough sleepers and Centre officers to 22 initiatives in place in the town street drinkers through a Safer Croydon media • Built on the first year’s success awareness campaign and support of the Croydon Business Crime for two Community Safety Events 90% Reduction Partnership (CBCP) organised in conjunction with the through the introduction of affiliated of businesses surveyed saw the Safer Croydon Partnership Business Watch, Travel Watch and Pub positive impact of each of the Watch schemes, to target persistent • Funded ‘Operation Candlelight’ a BID’s safety initatives* offenders and reduce business losses joint campaign with British Transport through intelligence sharing Police to provide support and reassurance to the travelling public 92% • Worked with the police and a at peak times of visitors feel safe during range of support agencies to target the day-time* street drinkers, rough sleepers, • Promoted greater awareness vagrants and gangs of youths and use of the Child Safe scheme at key times of the year with the Improving • Ensured better regulated control aim of re-uniting family members Visitors and businesses of street trading, entertainment and separated in the town and increasingly are noticing an promotional activities to help foster a highlighting Croydon’s ‘family improvement in policing levels sense of well being in the Town Centre friendly’ credentials *Source: Keep Britain Tidy Research – Business & User Perceptions of Croydon Town Centre, July 2011 6 Croydon BID Annual Report 2010-11 7 Our Key Clean & Attractive Achievements 46% Nothing creates a better first impression than a clean, tidy reduction in chewing gum and cared-for appearance and ensuring the town’s streets litter achieved are litter-free, well-maintained and benefit from tangible, visible improvements is high up on our agenda. 84% Working in partnership with Croydon Council and various external of businesses agree that suppliers, we have drawn on a wide range of skills and technical expertise introducing more floral displays over the course of the year to increase the Town Centre’s appeal and improves perceptions of the improve everyone’s experience of it Town Centre* What we delivered: Award-winning • Ensured standards of cleanliness • Installed window vinyls in 13 were maintained by the Council empty shop premises to improve Awarded the Best Overall and its contractors through regular their appearance and minimise the Town/District Centre Award in monitoring of baseline agreements impact they have on the area the 2010 Croydon in Bloom competition and contributed • Funded 2,000 additional hours • Worked with Croydon Council’s to Croydon achieving gold of deep cleaning plus washing and ‘Street Scene’ team, to tackle graffiti, award-winning status in the maintenance of ‘hot spot’ areas, fly tipping and street staining and London in Bloom and Britain in to supplement routine work carried to review enforcement of illegal Bloom Awards out by the Council advertising, leafleting and ‘mobile’ advertising across the town • Removed 2 million pieces of chewing gum litter and mounted • Installed over 200 additional floral our third annual Chewing Gum displays to bring extra colour and awareness campaign a sense of life and vibrancy to the Town Centre throughout the year • Worked with businesses, their employees, land owners and • Supported the Council’s private agents to improve the visual gritting efforts during the worst of appearance of neglected areas, the winter weather subways and privately-owned land *Source: Keep Britain Tidy Research – Business & User Perceptions of Croydon Town Centre, July 2011 8 Croydon BID Annual Report 2010-11 9 Our Key Perception & Image Achievements As one of South London’s primary retail, leisure and 9 out of 10 commercial destinations, Croydon has plenty to offer. visitors are satisfied with Over the course of the year, we have focused on Croydon as a place to work enhancing the town’s profile and delivering a series and visit* of initiatives designed to raise awareness of the town’s extensive, yet diverse, commercial offering in order to increase visitor numbers and highlight how Croydon is 82% changing for the better.