Latest news with #BusinessImprovementDistrict
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Let us tax visitors on overnight stays in England, mayors say
A coalition of mayors has called for powers to be given to local authorities to create visitor levies across England, in an attempt to boost tourist infrastructure and regional growth. The group of mayors from around the country, led by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, is calling on the government to grant devolved powers to allow regions to create a visitor levy, which could see a small charge added to overnight stays. Mr Rotheram said the overnight charges are 'the kind most of us wouldn't think twice about when travelling abroad' and 'would give us the power to reinvest directly into the things that make our area so special'. Other mayors have echoed his sentiment. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said: 'A modest overnight accommodation levy, similar to other international cities, would boost our economy, deliver growth and help cement London's reputation as a global tourism and business destination.' A similar law is already in place in Scotland, passed in 2024, which allows councils to tax overnight accommodation if they wish to do so. Edinburgh has already made headway with this power, voting in January to add a five per cent surcharge on visitors' overnight stays by 2026. A bill has also been proposed by Welsh lawmakers to introduce a small visitor levy that could see visitors to the country paying up to £1.25 per night by 2027. The mayors say England is 'at risk of falling behind' as Scotland and Wales move ahead with their own tourism levies, so are calling for rapid action from the central government. The mayors have argued that the powers to create a visitor levy would unlock 'vital' funding for tourism and cultural infrastructure and drive regional growth, as well as reduce dependence on funding from the central government. English legislation does not allow cities to create a visitor levy; however, using legal workarounds has meant Liverpool and Manchester have introduced a form of tourism levy. The city councils both introduced a tourism-based Business Improvement District (BID), using existing legal power to establish a form of tourist tax that allows hoteliers to charge £1 (in Manchester) or £2 (in Liverpool) per night as part of a 'city visitor charge'. The mayors said that the BID visitor levy in Liverpool has received strong backing, while in Manchester, a recent survey revealed 70 per cent of tourists are willing to pay a small charge if it is used to visibly enhance tourism services. However, the local authorities are hoping to see devolved powers to create visitor levies written into law. The campaign is backed by the mayors of the Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester, London, the North East, the West Midlands and West Yorkshire. 'These regions collectively attract hundreds of millions of visitors annually and contribute billions to the UK economy,' the group said. 'Yet none currently benefit from a dedicated funding stream to reinvest in tourism resilience and growth.' The Liverpool City Region predicts that a visitor levy could raise nearly £11 million per year for the area from the over 60 million visitors it receives annually. Greater Manchester says that a £1 to £5 overnight tax could raise between £8 million and £40 million per year, which could help fund key infrastructures such as the regeneration of Old Trafford or airport development. Over in the capital, the group said tourism accounts for one in seven jobs and nearly 12 per cent of London's economy, whereas visitor economies stand at £6.1 billion in the North East and £16.3 billion in Birmingham.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bar crawl aimed at generating business on Colfax during bus rapid transit construction
DENVER (KDVR) — Businesses along Colfax Avenue have been vocal about concerns that their businesses will suffer while a bus rapid transit project is constructed between Broadway and Yosemite. On Tuesday, the Colfax Ave. Business Improvement District announced the 'Bigwig Bar Crawl,' a wig-themed bar crawl to five of Denver's favorite bars. Sign up for the FOX31 Denver Guide weekly newsletter for events and activities 'From bold and bright to sleek and chic—all wigs are welcome. And here's the twist: your wig is your drink ticket!' the improvement district said in its announcement. The goal of the crawl is to support small business impacted by the ongoing construction project. Once complete, the project will create a bus lane in each direction along Colfax, designed to increase transit capacity and shorten travel times. BRT projects have been touted as making bus service more reliable and timely, and giving buses priority at intersections. The crawl will kick off at The Squire Lounge, 1800 E. Colfax Ave., and will include visits to five other bars, according to the district, including Pete's Satire Lounge, Lion's Lair, DNVR and Bar Max. Tickets to join the event are $10 and are available here, but interested participants must be 21 and over. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, with registration open from 3 to 4 p.m., and the crawl planned to start at 4 p.m. All proceeds from the bar crawl will go to small businesses impacted by the bus rapid transit construction. The event organizers added that participants should drink responsibly and use rideshare, transit or get a sober friend to drive them home. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown BID hits critical phase as new support rallies, opposition hardens
Jun. 1—Jim Long remembers Downtown Albuquerque's first Business Improvement District like it was yesterday. Long ultimately led the charge that ended that BID, which he said was fraught with issues created by what he called an "improper structure." Today, he is among those in support of establishing a new BID — one he says will be "well-constructed." "I think we have a good BID now," said Long, the CEO and founder of Heritage Cos. Many of the local officials and property owners who have been focusing their attention on Downtown Albuquerque and its revitalization in recent years share Long's sentiment and believe the creation of a BID is a pivotal step forward for Downtown. After months of planning and discussion, the BID now faces the crucial first step of collecting signatures from property owners through a petition that began circulating on Friday, according to Bill Keleher, an Albuquerque attorney leading the BID effort. The petition needs signatures from at least 51% of the proposed district's property owners, of which there are more than 180. While support from Downtown property owners like Long could help push the effort forward, other large property owners remain steadfast in their opposition to the proposed BID, making for what Long says will be "a close vote." The BID effort coincides with other economic development tools picking up steam, such as a Tax Increment Financing District, or TIF, which the City Council approved for Downtown in December. The TIF allows the city to capture up to 75% of growth of gross receipts and property taxes collected Downtown for reinvestment into the district. Comparatively, a BID is a mechanism through which property owners band together to pool their resources in the form of a tax assessment. The BID ultimately collects money from property owners and invests it into an area, in this case Downtown, to support services such as cleaning, maintenance, security and marketing. Some of these are services already offered by the city; the BID aims to enhance, grow and add to those services, but not to replace them, according to a fact sheet on the proposed BID. "We need a better Downtown. We've got some good stuff going Downtown, but it needs to be better," Keleher said. He added the BID would be "a chance for the property owners to take leadership" on change in Downtown. Addressing past issues Albuquerque was the first city in New Mexico to establish a BID, according to Journal archives. The former Downtown BID, established in 2000, lasted more than a decade before a lawsuit and numerous problems led to its downfall in 2014. Now, Albuquerque is one of the largest U.S. cities without a BID. Long, whose Downtown real estate holdings include the WaFd building and The Clyde Hotel, was behind the lawsuit that successfully dissolved the former Downtown BID. He said there were numerous issues, including the collection and approval of invalid signatures. Long said signatures obtained to renew the BID were not from the property owners authorized to sign, but rather from people working at or loosely involved with the businesses. "I am in support of the BID, provided that the BID signatures are valid signatures," Long said. "We're going to do some verification on these signatures." Long's support is a "very important" piece to the puzzle, Keleher said, adding he and his team crafted the petition so that anyone who wants to audit the signatures can do so. Additionally, the new BID will address past issues of what Long called "very diluted" voices paying into the BID by forming a board made up of property owners, according to a fact sheet on the Downtown BID. Another issue with the previous BID was that the organization running it concentrated services in areas outside where the majority of BID owners were located, so most BID payers didn't see the benefits of those services. The proposed BID addresses this by splitting Downtown up into two service zones: standard and premium. Property owners in the standard zone will pay less into the BID at a rate of $0.082 per square foot of their property, expected to be collected annually, according to the new BID's fact sheet and Keleher. Owners in the premium zone, located primarily along Central and Gold SW, between Copper NW and Silver SW, will pay more at a rate of $0.132 per square foot and will receive "approximately double the safe and clean services," the facts sheet states. Both zones will get the same marketing and annual special programming, according to the fact sheet. Safety and cleaning services will be the primary focus of the BID, receiving $1.2 million of the BID's proposed $1.7 million annual budget, a fact sheet on the BID states. The BID has budgeted $200,000 for marketing and special projects, and allocated the remaining $250,000 to management and advocacy. Long said this is also an improvement from the past BID, which he said put roughly 40% of the budget toward administrative costs. Keleher said the majority of property owners he's spoken with are in favor of the BID, and he's optimistic about reaching the 51% of votes needed to help form one. Some opposition Downtown's largest property owner, Douglas Peterson, has been the most vocal opponent of the BID. Writing in an opinion letter to the Journal, Peterson said Downtown's "serious crime and vagrancy issues" are unlikely to be solved by a BID. In an interview with the Journal, Peterson said he would prefer to establish a private organization similar to a BID that would be security focused and allows property owners to opt in or out. Peterson said he has already created the organization, called United Neighbors Improving Downtown Albuquerque, and is in the process of creating a nonprofit of it. He said he has pitched the idea to several property owners. "I've got money ready to go, got participants ready to go," Peterson said. "I'll do it as an alternate to the BID and we don't need to go and ask the government for permission." If a majority approves the BID petition, officials will submit it to the City Council for a public hearing and begin the process of approving it through an ordinance. Peterson said he will exhaust all efforts, including taking legal measures, to oppose the BID if passed, but he said he'd prefer to spend his time making Downtown better rather than fighting. Danielle Casey, president and CEO of the economic development organization Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, said "there is no one central solution" to improving Downtown, and she believes it will require "a combination of a lot of tools." Keleher said that while he and Peterson aren't in alignment with their methods, they both want Downtown to be better and know something needs to change. "I just want Downtown to be filled with people living there, working there, shopping there," Keleher said. "I would like to see a vibrant, interesting Downtown that reflects all the great things we have going on in New Mexico."
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Worthing's Grafton car park closed due to unstable concrete
Specialist engineers will investigate a council multi-storey car park which was forced to close last week due to unstable multi-storey car park in Worthing remains closed after the borough council said recent inspections raised safety concerns about the building.A council spokesperson said urgent investigation works would now be undertaken to decide the future of the Marine Parade town's Business Improvement District (Bid) added it was "deeply concerned about the impact this will have when combined with roadworks and other parking issues". The multi-storey car park, which is more than 60 years old, was first closed last Friday after some of the concrete inside the car park was found to be "in a poorer condition than expected". The council added: "Public safety is our priority so we have immediately closed the whole car park to prevent there being any potential risk to people using it."Over 400 parking spaces will be lost in Worthing as a result of the such as the Hollywood Bowl bowling alley remain open despite the closure.A Bid spokesperson added that it understood "the disappointment and concern this will cause for local businesses and residents" and "remains committed to supporting our business community in every way we can".In November 2023, Worthing Borough Council announced plans to sell and demolish Grafton car park, a move which had first been mooted in residents of Worthing told BBC Radio Sussex the building was "ugly", an "eyesore", and a "monstrosity".
Extra.ie
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Liveline: The most controversial and memorable shows in 27 years
There are few topics Joe Duffy hasn't covered in his 27 years behind the Liveline microphone. While some broadcasts provoked outrage, activism and government action, others generated mirth and national ridicule. For days on end, his show would drag needlessly taboo subjects into the spotlight and give voice to the ignored, including survivors of residential institutions and clerical abuse. Joe Duffy. Pic: Marc O'Sullivan via RTÉ Here are some of the most influential, controversial and memorable moments. During the financial crisis, callers spoke of withdrawing all their savings over their lack of confidence in the banking system. Financial crash. Pic Collins Photos Duffy asked how it felt to carry tens of thousands around in public and echoed the sentiments of his listeners towards the banks. Then Finance Minister Brian Lenihan was moved to phone RTÉ's then director-general Cathal Goan to complain, and also told RTÉ that people shouldn't withdraw their savings 'on the basis of unfounded allegations made on radio programmes'. Duffy's reach – and power to do good – was demonstrated on Liveline when an appearance from screenwriter Frank Deasy led to a record uptake of applications for organ donor cards, below. Organ donor card. Pic: File Deasy talked to Joe about his liver cancer mere days before his death, prompting 5,500 people to apply for organ donor cards in the next 48 hours – more than five times the number that had applied after a similar appeal on the Late Late Show two years earlier. In a crotchety monologue on the state of the 'dead' capital, the host decried the pound shops and fast food joints where once stood department stores and bank branches. 'Unadulterated kip'. Pic: Getty Images 'Dublin city centre is turning into an unadulterated kip and nobody is shouting stop,' Duffy said. '[The Business Improvement District initiative] would want to get up off their arse and do something about that.' A welcome spot of entertainment during the early days of the pandemic, when callers voiced their disgust at the raunchiness of RTÉ's Normal People. Pic: Element Pictures/Enda Bowe/BBC One caller compared the Sally Rooney adaptation directed by Lenny Abrahamson, to what you would 'expect to see in a porno movie', prompting a classic response from Duffy in full faux-naif mode: 'What would you see in a porno movie, Mary?' Pride ended its media partnership with the national broadcaster over discussions about the transgender community across several days on Liveline. Pic: Getty A statement said the LGBTQ+ group was left 'angered and disappointed' by the 'anti-trans rhetoric' aired by some callers. Duffy let rip on the rebel song revival led by the Wolfe Tones, accusing singer Brian Warfield of 'glorifying slaughter' in songs like Celtic Symphony. Brian Warfield. Pic: Kieran Frost/Redferns Warfield came on to defend the long-running group and their appeal to young people, and insisted that 'Up the Ra' could refer to the Egyptian god Ra. Duffy was having none of it, and the spat resulted in Warfield taking a defamation case against the station last year.
