MP wants to know if Banbury BID scheme is value for money
13/10/2025
One local businessman supported the idea initially but has now changed his mind
Is Banbury BID making a difference in the town centre worthy of the cost to the local businesses which fund it? That’s one of the questions Banbury’s MP is hoping might be answered in a survey he has launched, but one prominent local business person has told Banbury FM the BID does little for his business.
The Banbury Business Improvement District comprises 388 levy-paying businesses in Banbury town centre. Its aims are to enhance the economic vitality and overall appeal of Banbury town centre.
Sean Woodcock wants to understand directly from local businesses whether they feel the scheme is good value for money, and whether the BID has adequate contact and involvement with them. It also an opportunity to feedback any problems they might have, and to express whether they feel the BID has a positive impact on their business.
Barry Whitehouse runs the Artery Art Shop in Parson’s Street. Initially he supported the idea of setting up a BID but has now changed his mind: “They’ve gone through several different managers, several different strategies. There’s no consistent mission statement. It’s now unclear what the aims of the BID are regarding Banbury as a whole.
“New bid managers and staff and board members are recruited without advert and without interview, without levy payers being informed or getting the chance to have their say.
“It’s not clear how they’re spending their money. Activities are few and far between, and there’s a lot of repetitive treasure trails that happen and there’s no real benefit for the town – it doesn’t bring any additional people in to spend money in the shops.”
The latest five-year term for Banbury BID was agreed in February 2023 when businesses with a rateable value of over £10,000 voted on the idea – those with a rateable value under £10,000 did not get a vote as they were not liable to pay the levy.
Of 138 businesses that voted, 77 were in favour of the BID having a second term (56%). Cherwell District Council was able to cast a vote for each of the properties it owned in the town centre.
There are areas of concern for Mr Whitehouse: “Their second election was underhand. It excluded those who would potentially vote no by reducing the amount of businesses that were eligible to be part of the bid. It’s just very, very difficult to get full-on transparency.
“I’ve spent years trying to hold the board to account regarding transparency of exactly where the money is going. Around £170,000 per year and the accounts that they show on the glossy PDF every year doesn’t list who’s earning what, where that money’s going and where’s it being spent exactly.”
But others are more positive about some of the BID’s projects, including the mural which brightened up the old garage site in Lower Cherwell Street and the Faces of Banbury display at the Banbury Train Station overbridge.
In his survey MP Sean Woodcock aims to identify any problems with the BID and then push for action to help fix them. Whilst none of the data from individual businesses will be shared without consent, Mr Woodcock will be able to share anonymised data with the BID, and work with them on solutions.
He said: “I am always keen to engage with our local businesses to ensure I am doing everything I can to help them thrive.
“It is vital to receive feedback directly from businesses themselves, so it can inform the direction of my work. I hope this survey will be useful so that I can support them with any potential problems that might arise.
“Therefore, I strongly encourage everyone within the Banbury BID scheme to contribute and have their say.”
The survey is available here.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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