Businesses in Halesowen are being urged to back a scheme to “open the door to more improvements” in the town.

The team behind the Halesowen Business Improvement District (BID) is currently balloting businesses to green light the scheme for another five year term.

Business Improvement Districts give town centre businesses more independence to drive improvements in the local economy.

Bosses at Dudley Council said today the Halesowen BID was a “shining example” of what could be achieved when businesses worked together to improve a town centre. Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said:

"There’s a lot of hard work going into Halesowen which is really paying off. It is a shining example of what can be achieved by businesses working together for the good of their town centre.

"Without a shadow of a doubt, Halesowen would not have been the fastest recovering town centre after the pandemic if it weren't for the BID. Their team have turned Halesowen into a real destination; a place to visit with the family and support local businesses, as well as take advantage of the larger chains we have in the town too.

"I would really urge local businesses to vote yes for Halesowen. Only with a refreshed mandate from businesses can the BID open the door to more improvements and successes in Halesowen."

Under the BID scheme, companies who pay business rates within a defined area in Halesowen are charged a levy in addition to their bills. 

Dudley Council collects the money on behalf of the BID which is then passed back to the BID to fund improvements in the town. The BID can also work to provide training for members, raise the profile of the town and work to bring more funding into the area.

Halesowen BID organises events throughout the year as well as schemes such as In Bloom. They have also arranged for projects to brighten the area such as new seating, bunting and planting. 

Under the rules of the BID, businesses are being balloted to ask if they want to support another five years of the project. Vicky Rogers, Halesowen BID manager, added:

"We have been balloting for a week or so now and the feedback from businesses is very positive. We’re lucky to have so many businesses that really care about Halesowen and are always looking for opportunities to bring new initiatives and people to the town.

"We’re all keeping our fingers crossed that we can continue to build on the hard work we have all put in."