Welcome to the award winning Ilkley Chat!
Businesses urged to help BID collect evidence on the impacts of the parking changes
Following the announcement that Bradford Council will be introducing its new parking scheme in Ilkley on July 29, Ilkley BID Ltd, which operates the Business Improvement District in Ilkley, is appealing to local businesses to confidentially share business data with them. Any data illustrating the effect that the parking changes are having on their businesses over the next few months is required. This may be trading data, percentage changes over a period or any other factual information specific to them, for example genuine issues experienced by staff.
During the consultation phase of the BID, parking was consistently raised by local businesses and retailers as one of their major concerns. Victoria Kemp from Nora’s Interiors and Gifts which is based on The Grove, shares these concerns and says: “We respect Bradford Council’s decision to implement the changes to parking within Ilkley, however, we are very apprehensive about the long term impact it will have on the town. We can only hope our loyal local customers will continue to support all the wonderful retailers that are on their doorstep and we also hope visitors are not put off from coming to Ilkley due to the changes.”
As Helen Rhodes, Ilkley BID Manager, explains: “We understand the apprehension shared by our local businesses and will be aiming to monitor the impact the new parking scheme will have on them individually and on Ilkley as a town. We are requesting this information as we need more than anecdotal evidence; of course any data we do receive will be treated on a strictly confidential basis. The BID can only influence the future review of the new scheme if we have real evidence of it’s impact and I hope that some of the many businesses who were unhappy about the changes will now take action and get involved to provide this information. The BID will need to collect data throughout the 5 years it will be in existence, to see how the town develops in terms of visitors numbers etc. so this will be a starting point”
Businesses affected by the parking changes will shortly be receiving a letter from Bradford Council inviting them to apply for special permits for staff. These permits for business will be free for the first six months, after which the scheme will be reviewed. If a business hasn’t received their letter they are asked to get in touch with Bradford Council or with Helen.
Businesses are invited to contact Helen at info@ilkleybid.co.uk to discuss how they can help.