As you know, The Coastal BID represents approximately 700 businesses of varying sizes located in the following trading areas:
Westbourne, West Cliff, Seafront and Pier Approach, East Cliff, Boscombe, Pokesdown, Southbourne, Tuckton and Hengistbury Head.
The Coastal BID, through our levy, generates an additional £500,000 of benefit for the local community and businesses, allowing us to provide business support and to drive footfall to the trading areas.
Our businesses are vital to our local economy in providing jobs and in providing essential supplies and services to residents and visitors alike.
As our local Member of Parliament we are seeking your assistance to campaign to keep our businesses trading at this unprecedented time, recognising the pivotal role they play in delivering local food, services and supplies, and providing vital employment to staff whilst they trade through this period.
It must be possible to achieve a healthy balance between preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus as much as possible whilst supporting our local economy in order that when this eventually subsides (and it will) those businesses which are the backbone of our community will still exist.
We would urge you to lobby the Government to provide a review of the following:
- A clear package of financial support for both staff and business owners alike, including payment of the levy by Central Government directly to BIDS in order to provide a “levy holiday” for businesses and to ensure that the vital support provided by BIDS is able to continue.
- A firm decision from the Government as to whether businesses should be closed and clear insight as to what type of venues to be closed. Voluntary closures based on current advice will invalidate possible insurance claims for business interruption, and this is making survival of those businesses more unlikely.
- Clearer guidance as to how to best protect staff and guests alike.
- A clear and transparent timeline so that businesses can plan and prepare for the effects this will have on their businesses.
This is a critical time for everyone. Many of our businesses face an uncertain future and assistance is required now.
Please therefore raise our concerns with Government and to the Chancellor to ensure that swift and decisive action is taken to protect our businesses and their livelihood as we all struggle to negotiate these unchartered waters through the next few months and beyond.
Your assistance would be very much appreciated.