BIDs back national campaign to help high street recovery

Derby’s Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have joined a national campaign calling for greater measures to support high street businesses.

The #RaiseTheBar campaign, which has been backed by industry representation bodies and BIDs across the UK, has widened its appeal to the Government to save the high street with further assistance.

The Bounce Back Better initiative calls for an extended business rates holiday for 2021 and 2022 for all businesses in retail hospitality and leisure.

Organisers also want grants of up to £15,000 for these businesses who are operating in tiers two and three under further pandemic measures to stave of the threat of closures and high unemployment.

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Further measures include pausing National Insurance employer contributions for furloughed employees and an extension of the VAT reduction scheme currently in operation across the hospitality sector.

Both the Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter BIDs represent and support a wide cross-section of businesses in the city centre.

The BIDs will be writing a letter to local MPs urging them to back the campaign and encouraging individual businesses to also share the campaign.

Martin Langsdale MBE, chairman of the Cathedral Quarter BID said: “Our high streets lay perilously close to the cliff-edge with no parachute to save them from the brink.

“As part of the ongoing #RaiseTheBar campaign, which originally called for the threshold to be raised on the rateable value qualifying hospitality, leisure and retail for financial support, we are collectively calling on the Government to step in to save these vital sectors from economic ruin before it is too late.”

Helen Wathall MBE, chairman of St Peters Quarter BID, said: “The Government has provided assurances that it will do whatever it takes to support British businesses and help them to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic.

“With Derby in the highest level of restrictions following the second national lockdown, we now need the Government to provide further support in sector specific measures to stave off mass closure and job losses.

“Now, more than ever, we need the Chancellor to stand by his promise to do whatever it takes.”

Craig Bunting, co-founder of BEAR coffee company, in Iron Gate, has welcomed the BIDs’ involvement in the national campaign.

He said: “The cost to our industry is already catastrophic and recent decisions that target hospitality are unfounded and unwarranted.

“Without the support suggested, and more, many great brands, including newcomers like ourselves, will have no chance to recover.

“We have invested hugely in making our spaces Covid-secure and, as a result, hospitality operates one of the safest sectors in the UK.

“We are not asking for a handout, we want to trade, but when that ability is taken away, more must be done.”

To find out more about the campaign visit raisethebarcampaign.co.uk.