Visit Staines

Visit Staines BID is the trading name of Staines-upon-Thames Business Improvement District (BID) which is a not for profit, limited by guarantee company working on behalf of their members.

Website: www.visitstaines.co.uk/

Staisafe - the Staines-upon-Thames Shop Radio Scheme

Staines-upon-Thames Town Centre is covered by a radio network called 'Staisafe'. The majority of shops and restaurants have a radio which enables them to share information and intelligence with each other and the three control rooms, situated at the Elmsleigh and Two Rivers shopping centres and Runnymede Council's CCTV Centre, and provide reassurance to shop staff.

Designed to help reduce shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and crime and disorder, the system benefits from, and coordinates with, the CCTV systems in the two shopping centres and with the Runnymede Control Centre that covers the High Street and outer town centre locations.

Users meet quarterly to share information, discuss current town centre issues, agree best practice and develop the Scheme. The Police and town centre security Managers participate in these meetings.

Plans are in hand to roll out a system that will enable all BID Members to share securely crime related information via an app or the internet.

The Radio scheme was initiated and run by the Borough Council until July 2017 and since then it has been operated and developed  by the Business Improvement District (BID). It includes over 50 premises, operating around 60 radios. The scheme is being actively promoted to both BID and non-BID Members, with members enjoying discounted rental terms.

For further details please contact Tim Kita, Staisafe Coordinator at staisafe@stainesuponthamesbid.co.uk  or call 07850 918024.

Staines Business Improvement District - BID

Pay your BID bill

Background

Business Improvement Districts nationwide provide a mechanism for businesses in a designated area to pool their resources and invest in agreed products and services. Visit Staines BID was established in 2017 and is has now started its second term after a successful reballot in 2022 and has a mandate to deliver a set of proposals set out in our business plan over a 5-year term. We will be going to reballot in 2027.

A BID (Business Improvement District) is a designated zone (BID Area) in which businesses (BID Levy Payers) benefit from a wide range of additional services over and above those funded through the standard commercial rates and council services.

The business led and business funded organisation will raise £1.5 million to invest in Staines-upon-Thames town centre over the five year term, raised from a levy of 1.5% of the rateable value of eligible business premises.

Visit Staines is 100% business led and business managed and it is governed by a board that meets monthly. If your business would like to join as a board member please get in touch with us on info@visitstaines.co.uk.

As well as our 300 levy payers, Visit Staines BID also works with a number of businesses outside of the town centre who want to support our initiatives and get involved. These are known as voluntary levy payers. For more information about becoming a voluntary levy payer, please get in touch.

There are currently over 250 established BIDs including Camberley, Kingston, Guildford and Twickenham.

BID Projects

Staines-upon-Thames BID projects are grouped into four themes:

• Safe and Secure
• Marketing and Events
• Bright and Welcoming
• Informed and Connected

It outlines proposals for projects, initiatives, and services to be funded by a business levy, aiming to improve the town centre by increasing footfall and supporting businesses. All the projects can be seen in the Staines-upon-Thames BID business plan at www.visitstaines.co.uk/about-us/

Staisafe - the Staines-upon-Thames Shop Radio Scheme

Staines-upon-Thames Town Centre is covered by a radio network called 'Staisafe'. The majority of shops and restaurants have a radio which enables them to share information and intelligence with each other and the three control rooms, situated at the Elmsleigh and Two Rivers shopping centres and Runnymede Council's CCTV Centre, and provide reassurance to shop staff.

Designed to help reduce shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and crime and disorder, the system benefits from, and coordinates with, the CCTV systems in the two shopping centres and with the Runnymede Control Centre that covers the High Street and outer town centre locations.

Users meet quarterly to share information, discuss current town centre issues, agree best practice and develop the Scheme. The Police and town centre security Managers participate in these meetings.

Plans are in hand to roll out a system that will enable all BID Members to share securely crime related information via an app or the internet.

The Radio scheme was initiated and run by the Borough Council until July 2017 and since then it has been operated and developed  by the Business Improvement District (BID). It includes over 50 premises, operating around 60 radios. The scheme is being actively promoted to both BID and non-BID Members, with members enjoying discounted rental terms.

For further details please contact Tim Kita, Staisafe Coordinator at tim@visitstaines.co.uk  or call 07850 918024.

Staines Business Improvement District - BID

Pay your BID bill

BID Levy

To fund the work of the Staines-upon-Thames BID each business with the BID area pays a compulsory annual contribution. This is the BID levy. The BID area is shown on page 23 of the Staines-upon-Thames BID business plan which can be downloaded from the Staines Bid website.

In line with legislation collection of the levy is done on the BID's behalf by the Local Authority, Spelthorne Borough Council; the money is ring-fenced and paid back to the BID in its entirety. Collection is enforced under the same rules and processes as business rates collection. Any queries about the following should be raised with Spelthorne Borough Council:

• levy payment
• bills or reminders
• disputes over liability for properties
• recovery notices

Contact Customer Services Team at Spelthorne Borough Council

Tel: 01784 451499 Email: nndr@spelthorne.gov.uk

How to work out your levy

The BID levy is based on the rateable value of the property (hereditament) that a business occupies. This is also how business rates are worked out. For the Staines-upon-Thames BID, the levy for 2017-2022 is 1.5% of the premises rateable value, with the maximum BID levy payable on any one hereditament and also those with multiple hereditaments capped at £5,000 per year. BID levy will not increase during the five-year term 2017-2022. For businesses located within Two Rivers Retail Park and The Elmsleigh Centre the levy is 0.75% of rateable value to reflect the managed environment and service charge.

Exemptions

The following types of hereditament will be excluded from paying the BID levy (and therefore from voting in any BID ballot): charities, industrial use, warehouses, advertising hoardings, communications stations/telecom masts, ATMs.

Empty property relief

Owners are usually liable for unoccupied properties. Under business rates rules, businesses receive a 3-month period where they are exempt from paying business rates. However, a BID levy charge of 100% of normal liability applies as soon as a property becomes vacant (ie no 3-month grace period).

Levy bills

• in Line with BID regulations, levy bills will arrive at the same address used for business rates bills
• bills will be sent each February/March, for the five years of the BID term
• one levy bill will arrive for each eligible property of the rating list. So, for example a business occupying three rateable properties will receive three bills.

BID accounts

Fully audited accounts will be made available on the Visit Staines website for all the levy payers at the end of each BID year and at the BID Annual General Meeting. A review of the annual BID activities and details of the completed projects and project expenditure will accompany the following years BID levy bills