FAQs

A Business Improvement District focuses on delivering projects towards improving the local trading environment for businesses in a defined area in which a levy is charged on all eligible business rate payers in addition to the business rates bill.

There is no limit on what projects or services can be provided through a Business Improvement District. The only requirement is that it should be something that is in addition to services provided by local authorities. Improvements may include, but are not limited to, extra safety/security, cleansing and environmental measures, activity to increase footfall and spend.

The levy is managed by a stand-alone Business Improvement District (BID) organisation.

St Albans BID Ltd (t/a St Albans City Centre BID) is the organisation specifically created to receive the levy and develop projects on behalf of levy paying businesses that support and strengthen the economic performance of the BID area.

It is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, company number 10625613 and has a voluntary Board of business representative Directors.

The ability to create a BID is facilitated through legislation: Local Government Act 2003 Part 4. Detailed regulations for England were provided by the Business Improvements Districts (England) Regulations 2004.

It starts with a ‘proposer’ – they can be a local authority, a person or a company, or business rate payer who has an interest in the area.

The proposer creates a proposal document that explains what will be provided in terms of services, the area the BID will cover, and how the BID will be managed. This information forms the basis of a Business Plan. The plan will set out the governance of the BID and expected levy income, who will be liable to pay the levy, the amount to be collected and how the budget had been calculated.

The proposer is required to inform the local authority and Secretary of State of their intent to submit a proposal with the aim to hold a Ballot. The ballot will ask those levy businesses liable to pay the levy to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to establish a BID.

BIDs are voted in for a five year term in office as per the BID legislation. This allows businesses to asses the benefits of having the BID and vote again for it’s continuation or end.

For the BID to go ahead, two conditions must be met; firstly, a majority of those voting have to vote ‘yes’ and secondly those ‘yes’ votes have to represent more than 50% of the total rateable value of all votes cast.
There is no minimum turnout threshold. If these conditions are fulfilled, payment of the levy becomes mandatory for all businesses regardless of how they voted. So, a BID will only be established if the majority of businesses, by number and rateable value, want it.

St Albans BID was created after a successful vote in the autumn of 2016. St Albans BID Ltd was created and the first term launched in the spring of 2017, (2017 – 2022). A second successful Ballot was held in February 2022, for a second term (2022 – 2027)

We are now coming to the end of our second term and will be going out to Ballot in autumn 2026 for a third term (2027 – 2032). You can find out about the third term ballot here.

A BID area is the defined area in which a levy is charged on all business rate payers in addition to the business rates bill.

Click here to view the map of St Albans City Centre BID area.

St Albans BID Ltd (t/a St Albans City Centre BID) uses the pooled levy funds to deliver the priorities set out in the business plan.

Levy spend is an investment into the BID area to provide additional services and initiatives that drive footfall and spend. Work delivery promotes St Albans as a premier, heritage, retail and service centre destination and drives a prosperous local economy.

Over the period of delivery, businesses may experience this work directly of indirectly. Our focus must be on projects and services that benefit the wider business trading environment.

Our priority is to deliver work that benefits the wider business trading environment. When business interests and community interests naturally crossover, we will engage as needed with community organisations and residents working or living in the city area. In doing so, our aim will be to secure outcomes that achieve our business plan priorities and further the reach of our investment.

Authority is facilitated through legislation: Local Government Act 2003 Part 4. Detailed regulations for England were provided by the Business Improvements Districts (England) Regulations 2004.

BIDs are not statutory organisations and do not have the powers and responsibilities of local authorities. When businesses vote in a BID through the regulated Ballot process, they give their authority to BID to deliver work in accordance with the Business Plan proposal.

In keeping with the Business Plan proposal which businesses voted for at Ballot, the over all decision-making for organisational management and project delivery is lead by the BID Board of Directors with delegated day-to-day project delivery decisions made by the BID Manager who is supported by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). BID has policy documents which provide guidance on levels of decision-making and budget spend.

To avoid any conflict of interest, Directors will declare any interests in agenda items at the beginning of each decision-making meeting and abstain from voting on those items.

View the current members of the St Albans BID board here.

No. The Directors operate at a strategic level, meeting bimonthly, and participating on subcommittees overseeing the delivery of the published Business Plan objectives.

Monitoring and measuring the performance and effectiveness of the BIDs activities are an integral and essential part of the plan. Key performance indicators include footfall data, website visits, business surveys, photographic evidence, vacant properties, take-up town trails and media publications. 

No. All Directors are volunteers, giving their time for free. The BID is a not-for-profit organisation, meaning all funds are invested into work delivery.

For each BID term, the Business Plan taken to Ballot sets out the rules on which BID area businesses pay the levy, how much it will be, and how the levy is calculated.

Levy payers, for example, may include a mix of independent and national retail, hospitality, professional services, banks, supermarkets, local authorities, theatres, and the Cathedral.

Second Term ( 2022- 2027) – If a business occupies a commercial premises (hereditament) with a rateable value in excess of £12,000, and is responsible for the business rates, they will be charged a St Albans City Centre BID levy. The BID levy is calculated on a different rateable value from the business rates.

The BID levy is calculated on the 2017 rateable value list and changes (both up and down) as a result, the 2023 revaluation are ignored.

Third Term (2027 – 2032) – Click here to read the proposed Business Plan for the Third Term.

There are circa 544 (as of August 2026) liable commercial premises in the BID area. This number can change if premises are altered in any way through the year affecting the structure of the premises.

During the Second Term (2022 – 2027), for example:

Circa ~£465k for 2022/2023 was due.
Circa ~£561k for 2024/2025 was due.

The Business Plan provides an income forecast based on the known amount of businesses liable to pay the levy at the time of its writing. The published figures may not be achieved for a variety of reasons, e.g. a business goes into administration.

St Albans City & District Council is paid an annual fee by the BID for the levy collection services.

The Council commits to deliver a baseline level of services within the BID area as part of its own service delivery commitment using tax payer and government funds. As per BID legislation, on an annual basis, the council is required to provide BID with a list of what their baseline of services will be and is subject to its annual budgets. For example, baseline levels for street cleaning, delivery of the market, delivery of annual events, etc.

The Council in its own right is a BID levy payer for its own business-led operations such as the market, car parks and the Museum and Gallery. In addition the council has contributed £15k of funds for Christmas lights in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

No, however the BID has sponsored key annual events delivered by the council because they attract footfall and animate the city which delivers to the BID’s Business Plan priorities. Sponsorship is reviewed annually.

The BID has a limited budget to spend on projects and activities which bring footfall to the BID area. Sponsors and partners for events and activities allow us to extend the activity, and our reach of promotion. Likewise, our sponsors benefit from being associated with the event or activity and to be included in the additional marketing BID provides.

Yes. The BID delivers the annual George Street Gin and Jazz event and more recently the festival element of the annual Alban Day – Pilgrimage and Festival. We also deliver the Pop-up Beach and smaller activities such as crazy golf, music at the Clock Tower, Music in the Park and street based entertainments which may change on an annual basis.

The BID has a limited budget to spend on projects and activities which bring footfall to the BID area. Sponsors and partners for events and activities allow us to extend our reach and promotion outside of the BID area. Previously, the BID raised £28k in non-levy income to help fund tourism and footfall-driving activities and promotions. 

No, St Albans BID does not run any market.

St Albans City & District Council is the market authority and either delivers or licences visiting markets. The BID works to promote the market alongside all BID area businesses locally and nationally as a city centre shopping attraction.

Whilst the repair and maintenance of buildings and street furniture fall under the local authorities’ remit, BID invests in additional initiatives including floral planters, art, and signage to make our city centre vibrant and welcoming for those who live, work, and visit here.

We actively support levy payers with street scene issues and feedback comments and concerns to St Albans City & District Council and Hertfordshire County Council. By continuing to work together we can all help to support and sustain a clean, safe, and vibrant city centre.

BID has joined forces with waste company KP Waste, an independent waste and recycling collection company based in Hertfordshire. Levy paying business have the opportunity to receive a concession contract rate through the partnership BID has established thus saving businesses in St Albans money on their commercial waste costs. Through this partnership, we also help businesses achieve good recycling rates and minimise landfill.

Not all city centre businesses use KP Waste however BID will liaise directly with a business if their waste causes problems. BID and Levy payers give feedback to St Albans City & District Council on waste issues that fall within the council’s own contract and will engage with the environmental services and waste management teams when issues become a health concern.

No, the BID is apolitical, and bylaws preclude any politicians from being Directors.

For operational information, you can view the BID’s Articles of Associations.

No political parties, members of political parties, Councillors, or Council Officers or any other representatives of local, county, or national authorities may be a Director.

The Board may, at its discretion invite Councillors or Council Officers as observers and/or make Director appointments, with or without voting rights, on terms as determined by the Board.

The Strategic Director for Strategy, Policy and Transformation, or their representative, has been in attendance since 2022 as an observer to assist where able, BID’s delivery of its Business Plan objectives.

No. Government legislation does not require BIDs to be audited by council. BID uses an external third-party bookkeeper as the accountant who prepares the annual accounts. The BID accounts are posted with Companies House and on the BID website in addition to Limited Scope Assurance Reports.

We keep people updated in a variety of ways because we know businesses owners/managers are busy people and will have personal preferences for how they receive information.

We provide monthly e-newsletters, subscribe here.
We deliver quarterly printed newsletters to all levy paying businesses.
We provide an Annual Summary of our work which goes out with the levy bill, also published on our website.
Access to information is available 24/7 via our website.
Businesses can follow us via @stalbansbid and also see what we are delivering on our other platforms @shopstalbans and @enjoystalbans
We also engage in non-BID managed WhatsApp discussions when relevant to BID services.

Importantly the BID team is always out and about meeting businesses as we deliver our work or check-in with how they are doing.

We are available to reach from 09:00 to 17:00, from Monday through Friday via email, telephone, DM via social media platforms and even visits to the office.

Any BID area business can request a visit from a member of the team: info@stalbansbid.com.

The BID has been located in French Row since 2017 and pays market rent to St Albans City & District Council.   

Suite 2, 7 French Row, St Albans, Herts. AL3 5DU