Business Improvement District Consultants – City Centre BID

Having re-established Derby City Centre Management through a service level agreement with the City Council, pfbb’s business improvement district consultants led the development of the Cathedral Quarter BID in Derby City Centre in the face of a £340 million Westfield mall development at the other side of the city centre.

The range of businesses in the Cathedral Quarter Is the historical commercial core of Derby city centre and has a diverse range of businesses from retail to health and beauty to professional services such as lawyers, architects and accountants. The retail is predominantly specialist independent and includes a traditional Victorian Market Hall.

The work of pfbb secured a successful vote for the Cathedral Quarter BID business plan of 85% in favour by number and 74% in favour by rateable value. Since the vote pfbb secured the contract to provide contract and project management services to the Cathedral Quarter Company.

Significant Achievements

• Reduction in vacancy levels below national, regional and city levels

• Increases in footfall since the initial decline when Westfield opened

• A net gain of 38 businesses moved into the Cathedral Quarter Jan 2010 to Jan 2012

• Retail sales performances exceeding levels seen in the rest of the city centre e.g 2011 v 2010 averaging plus 3% on the year in comparison to the rest of the city centre at -3.7% on the year. *

• In second year of BID voted by the Times Newspaper as the 13th best place for a get-away weekend

*figures from 'Sales Monitor' service operated by pfbb (see Sales Monitor in Services section)