A MAJOR campaign to transform the face of Barrow town centre is heading into the final but critical stages of its project. 

Businesses will soon make the decision on whether they will take the future of their town into their own hands and vote for a business improvement district.

A BID is a private-sector initiative which sees businesses pay a small levy to carry out key improvements within a specific area. 

These improvements are identified by an extensive research period which quizzed businesses on the main issues that impact them. 

A declining footfall, lack of pride and empty shops are just some of the things plaguing the town centre and Phil Collier, chairman of Barrow BID, says now is the time to act. 

He said: "Just look around the town centre. 

"Look at the empty shops and the fact that footfall has declined. We have to do something. 

"We have got this great investment coming into the town and we have to give people something to come here for. 

"It's about taking pride in Barrow and pride in the town centre."

Business leaders who are supportive of the BID are now working to create a prospectus to hand out to firms across the town centre to document every detail about the process. 

It will take business owners through everything they need to know to make a decision and how a 'yes' vote would benefit them. 

Mr Collier said: "It will summarise everything they need to know including what we're going to do, what we're spending the money on and what we're trying to achieve.

"It's important for people understand what this is about and what it will achieve for the town and what it will do for individual businesses."

Voting will begin on April 1 and will continue until April 28. 

As the final countdown begins, members of the Barrow BID steering group will be doing what they can to secure a 'yes' vote. 

Mr Collier said: "This stage is critical. 

"Between now and the end of April, I and other members of the steering group will be working tirelessly to go around the town centre and make people aware of what it is and why they should vote 'yes'".

How will it work?
An empty shop in Dalton Road

  • All premises with a rateable value above £4,000 will be required to pay a 1.5 per cent levy on their existing rateable value of each property;
  • That money will be then be collected and stored in a separate pot to fund vital changes to the town centre; 
  • These changes derive from key issues highlighted by businesses in the town centre that have come to light through research and surveys conducted throughout the year; 
  • They include the marketing and promotion of Barrow, making access to Barrow town centre easier, filling empty units within the centre of town, boosting Barrow’s evening and night time economy and building an effective partnership between business, organisations and local authorities; 
  • With more than 400 premises chipping in, businesses can raise more than £800,000 over a period of five years to regenerate the town centre.