Cheltenham business community endorses BID for another five years

Cheltenham Borough Council has welcomed the news that Cheltenham businesses have voted in favour of a third, five-year term of the Cheltenham Business Improvement District (BID).

The results of the ballot, which took place throughout October, were announced on Friday 31 October, with a 47% turnout and 82% of businesses voting in favour of another term.

A Business Improvement District (BID) is a defined geographic area in which local businesses collaborate to fund and implement projects, services and initiatives which will be of benefit to businesses within the BID area. Funded by a levy in addition to business rates, there are no restrictions on the types of projects that a BID can deliver, the only condition is that they must go beyond what the local authority already provides.

Projects led by Cheltenham BID include tourism and marketing promotion in partnership with Marketing Cheltenham, events like the Cheltenham Big Wheel, and the Cheltenham Gift Card which encourages people to shop locally. The BID is also responsible for enhancing Cheltenham town centre’s Christmas lights and townscape improvements including a successful graffiti tagging removal project and Cheltenham BID in Bloom.

Cheltenham BID, founded in July 2016, was successfully re-balloted in 2021 with its current term set to run until 31 March 2026. The outcome of the latest ballot means that the BID will now operate for a further five-year term from 1 April 2026.

Leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, Rowena Hay, one of the council’s representatives on the BID board, said: "I am excited for the future of the BID and would like to thank all those businesses who took the time to vote in support of Cheltenham BID. Considering the real pressures that our high streets are under, from changing shopping habits to the growth of online retail and the cost-of-living squeeze, it’s more important than ever that we work together to support local traders and keep our town centre vibrant.”

Notes to editors:

BIDs are separate organisations to councils and more information about the operation of a BID can be found here: Business Improvement Districts - GOV.UK

On Monday 16 June 2025, Cheltenham BID Limited served notice of their intention to seek a renewal ballot for a further five-year term to run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031.

Businesses that are subject to the levy could vote in the ballot. A ballot determines whether the new term for the Cheltenham BID will go ahead. A successful vote for a new term is one that has a majority both in votes cast and in rateable value of votes cast.

The ballot ran from 2-30 October 2025 with the result declared here: https://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/cheltenham-bid

Image: Cheltenham BID organised big wheel in Imperial Gardens, credit Visit Cheltenham