Ilford BID Business Improvement District (BID) is one of over 32O BIDs across the UK. It is an organisation that since 2009 has represented just under 400 businesses across Ilford town centre.

By building relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders across the town centre, the team and board of directors have worked hard to support businesses, visitors, and residents.

The 2024 -2029 business plan will have a focus on maximising the economic benefits of a sustainable, and modern town centre which is ready to take advantage of new opprtunities, including the Elizabeth Line. The opprtunity is there for Ilford to meet the needs of people who will be proud to work, shop, and live in the area. For a copy of our 2024 - 2029 operating agreement, please email cyril@ilfordbid.com

After a successful third term, with dedicated delivery in Ilford town centre to support business and community, the Ilford BIDs new business plan will include the delivery themes below.

• Capitalising on the economic benefits of the town centre - Opportunity
• Driving footfall though focused initiatives and events – Experience
• Engaging as the voice of businesses in Ilford and championing the promotion of a green and modern town centre - Support

Driving initiatives to create a positive welcome which harness the potential of new features to Ilford town centre, such as the Elizabeth line connecting Ilford to the heart of London. Capitalising on generational opportunities to focus on how the BID can build on the economic benefits this provides and evolve further still into a modern town centre experience with public realm art installation, festive lighting, markets and more to drive footfall.

A key aim of the BID is to make Ilford, a welcoming and safe place to visit. We will continue to focus on initiatives that help to enhance the look and feel of the BID area. Our radio security scheme will continue to be managed by our BID security officers, whilst maintaining a uniformed presence in the town centre to assist businesses and visitors.

The scheme is enhanced with DISC access, offering a secure online information sharing system which enables businesses to report incidents and view the latest intelligence.

A commitment to promoting and supporting important issues and campaigns, including initiatives to improve the safty of women and girls in our community. We will also deliver on this commitment by continuing to facilitate the Ilford BID business brime reduction partnership, bringing key partners together to tackle crime in our community.

The BID will support businesses by providing a voice and opportunities to collaborate with partners to showcase Ilford as a modern town with green aspirations. Delivering projects to support our business stakeholders with their environmental, social and governance objectives. The BID will continue to work closely with stakeholders and partners to harness ideas to boost economic growth in the town centre. We will support businesses on their net zero journeys through the provision of information, resources, green champions and exemplar projects.

The Ilford BID team have worked over the past 15 years to ensure a strong delivery of projects and business support for the town centre.

EVENTS

In the past 5 years, the BID has delivered over 15 large scale footfall driving events, delivering much needed visits, activation and publicity to Ilford town centre. These events have not only served to differentiate us from other destinations, but also keep us in harmony with key national celebrations including celebrations such as the Platinum Jubilee and Coronation of King Charles III.

CRIME & SAFETY

Our Ilford BID security officers support businesses 7 days a week, and have delivered over 27,000 manned hours in the town centre in the past 5 years. We manage the town centres business crime reduction partnership and deploy our security radio scheme for emergency response. Our collaboration with partners ensures that crime and anti-social behaviour is tackled through coordinated partnership.

MARKETING

Launched in 2020, the inIlford consumer brand has become the go to place for everything Ilford related. With an ever growing, and engaged local audience following on social media, the brand has over 35,000 followers and has had over 180,000 page views since its launch. The inIlford business directory page has seen a growth of over 80%, confirming the brand as a phenomenal tool to market Ilford businesses and make Ilford the destination of choice for shopping and experiences.

PLACE MAKING INTIATIVES

We work collaboratively with partners, local artists, designers and business stakeholders to improve the welcome in the places we live and work. Our efforts to enhance the town centre has delivered our annual Christmas light scheme, with over £150,000 of investment over the past 5 years, decorative light structures, and art installations including our inIlford mammoth trail.

CHRISTMAS IN ILFORD

We deliver the annual Christmas light switch on event in the town centre, which is supported with a dedicated marketing campaign, a programme of free family entertainment, markets, and late-night shopping events.

SUSTAINABILITY

We drive improvements with key partners and stakeholders. We launched our sustainability programme Ilford inGreen in 2022 with a focus on driving improvements in the town centre through the collaboration of business and community members. The programme has brought over 200 business and community volunteers together in the past year, introduced over 500 new plants in the town centre, and activating more than 375,000 volunteer steps through action day activities.

PROJECTS

Our virtual trail trial has also activated over 9,200,000 footsteps to keys areas in Ilford town centre and resulted in over 460,000 calories burnt since its’ launch. Our inIlford markets have become a feature of most of our events and a trial continues in the town centre delivering increased footfall and over 300 market stalls in the past year.

• Businesses will lose their say on the direction of the town centre without the BID being able to act as a combined voice for all.
• A negative view from investors, almost all major towns and cities have a BID. The absence of a BID will be noted by potential investors and may sway their decision.
• The loss of large annual events such as the Christmas inIlford light switch on, Ilford Business Awards, inIlford Food Festival and other ad-hoc events such as the Platinum Jubilee and Coronation events will not take place. This will result in the loss of footfall in the 10's of thousands.

• Place making installations including the annual Christmas tree, lighting schemes, art installations will not take place.
• Loss of the Ilford BID security officers who work diligently to discourage antisocial behaviour, shoplifting, and begging in the town centre. The team work 7 days a week to support businesses and community members, whilst also reporting street issues and other challenges in the town centre. The town centre would lose 5,400 hours of trained security presence per annum.
• All business networking events including, radio scheme meetings, evening meals & drinks with the BID, community action days under our Ilford inGreen programme would cease. These events bring together key businesses stakeholders, partners including officials of Redbridge Council and Councillors of the London Borough of Redbridge to discuss and tackle issues affecting business stakeholders in the town centre. These events also deliver community and business action days which include gardening, litter picking and recycling activities.
• The inIlford consumer brand run by Ilford BID driving tourism and interest into the town centre would also be deactivated and lost. The inIlford website is the number one place to find out what is happening in the town centre with a full events page, a comprehensive directory of town centre businesses, offers page, competitions and blogs. The inIlford social media channels have over 19,000 followers the majority of which are highly engaged and local to the area, with a further 14,500 followers on e-comms
• There would be a gap in crisis situations as businesses would now have to access all council support measures individually. During the Coronavirus pandemic, the BID took responsibility for sharing accurate comms, managing safety messaging, putting in place resources to help businesses operate during lock downs, kept watch over closed down properties with our security teams, delivered safety equipment including sanitiser stations and traffic flow management systems in the town centre, delivered footfall driving events during town centre re-openings, provided additional security personnel to facilitate crowd control for businesses. All this will be lost if the BID is no longer in place.
• Business would have no access to free courses such as first aid, and fire marshal courses which are facilitated by the BID annually.
• Additional funding of over £40,000 annually would be lost and no longer be invested into the town centre. Over £360,000 a year of invested funding into the Ilford economy would also be lost annually.
• The town centre businesses would lose access to the BID’s radio security scheme, which supports over 80 businesses in Ilford. All emergency or urgent response calls, will not have access to trained BID security officers. The BID will also no longer manage the town centre business crime reduction partnership, which brings together key partners including the Met Police to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in Ilford town centre.

Redbridge Council will send those responsible for eligible hereditaments which are subject to the BID, a ballot paper prior to the 6th of October. You will receive one ballot paper for each property you are eligible to vote for by post. If you do not receive your ballot paper please email cyril@ilfordbid.com

Please check that each ballot paper received has its own return envelope.

Complete your ballot paper by putting a cross (X) beside your choice to retain the Ilford BID for a further five years or not.

Write your name and job title and sign the ballot paper.

Each ballot paper must be returned in its own separate envelope.

Return your completed ballot paper/s by post in the pre-paid envelope or to the Redbridge Town Hall ballot box.

If you have any questions, please contact cyril@ilfordbid.com or call 07498316461.

A Business Improvement District (BID) is a business-led and business funded body formed to improve a defined commercial area. The benefits of BIDs are wide-ranging and can include:

• Businesses decide and direct what they want in their area
• Businesses are represented and have a voice in issues affecting their trading area
• BID levy money is ring-fenced for use only in the BID area
• Increased footfall and spend
• Improved staff retention
• Reduced business costs
• Enhanced marketing and promotion
• Support with sustainability initiatives
• Guidance in place shaping vision activities
• Facilitated networking Opportunities with neighbouring businesses
• Assistance in dealing with the Council, Police and other public bodies

Ilford BID operates in Ilford town centre. Local businesses would be in total control of the BID in its' fourth term and it will continue to represent all sectors, and promote collaborative working with partners to achieve greater results.

Find out more about our delivery themes and how they will benefit the town centre by reviewing our 2024 - 2029 business

The boundary are will include Audrey Road Axon Road, Balfour Road, Chadwick Road, Chapel Road, Clements Lane, Clements Road, Cranbrook Road, Hainault Street, Handforth Road, Havelock Street, Heron Mews, High Road, Holstock Road, Ilford Hill, Janice Mews, Kenneth More Road, Mill Road, Oakfield Road, Postway Mews, Riches Road, Rigby Mews, Riverdene Road, Roden Street, Station Road, Thompson Close, Wellesley Road, Winston Way York Road and York Mews.