Tipperary businesspeople are getting behind a campaign to rejuvenate the town
Ratepayers of Clonmel to vote on establishing a BID company
Business owners in Clonmel are mounting a campaign to allow them meet the challenge of rejuvenating the town.
They want to set up a Business Improvement District in Clonmel and have invited those behind the success story of BID in
Sligo to a meeting for rate payers in Clonmel on Tuesday September 2 at the Talbot Hotel .
This is an opportunity for rate payers to hear directly from Sligo BID leaders, meet the Clonmel BID team and learn about Clonmel’s five-year strategy.
Those behind the campaign feel BID for Clonmel would provide an opportunity for the business community and its citizens to address some of the challenges the town faces.
PROJECTS
A Clonmel BID will provide funding for the functions of town centre management e.g. Christmas lights, festivals and events, trade shows, marketing and promotion, safety on streets, tourism promotion, raising public awareness of what’s happening in Clonmel each week, support for projects that will enhance the town, source and leverage other funding streams such as Leader, Faillte Ireland, Heritage Council of Ireland, Local Authority grants etc as well as funding streams from the EU and other international organisations.
Clonmel BID will give the business owners of the town a BID CEO who will act on behalf of businesses in Clonmel BID and work at building strategic alliances to position Clonmel as a location of choice for living, shopping, leisure and business.
ANNUAL BUDGET
It will work on behalf of 828 businesses with an annual budget of €350,000 with the potential to leverage additional funding for Clonmel. This will enable Clonmel BID to provide match funding to various community groups and organisations that attract footfall to the town centre and improve leisure and recreational offerings in the Clonmel Bid area.
The business people behind the campaign feel the project has the ability to transform the town.
The BID will be led by Clonmel’s business community in collaboration with Tipperary County Council, County, Tipperary Chamber, An Garda Siochana and local voluntary organisations, ensuring projects reflect local needs while delivering visible, measurable benefits.
A full-time BID CEO will be appointed to manage the day-to-day operations, with additional support staff as needed.
The BID working group has engaged with over 100 Clonmel businesses through one-to-one meetings, workshops, and stakeholder consultations, including with Tipperary County Council, Clonmel Town Team, Tidy Towns, and the Clonmel Christmas Lights Committee.
If approved, Clonmel BID will be funded by a small annual BID levy from ratepayers. There are 980 rate payers in the BID map area which includes all the business parks and businesses in a radius of about 5km from the town centre. Each rate payer will give €50 for every €1,000 paid in commercial rates.
STRATEGIC PLAN
It will mean every business, big and small, will be contributing and this will generate approximately €350,000 annually, which will be managed by the BID company and used to deliver the strategic plan.
The town’s business people will vote on the BID proposal early next year. Rate payers in Clonmel will receive ballot papers on January 5. Closing date for return of ballot papers will be January 22 with the count taking place the next day.
If the vote is in favour of setting up a BID in Clonmel the levy to fund the company would be paid by all rate payers in the town, including large multi-nationals and chain stores. Business owners in Clonmel are mounting a campaign to allow them meet the challenge of rejuvenating the town.
They want to set up a Business Improvement District in Clonmel and have invited those behind the success story of BID in Sligo to a meeting for rate payers in Clonmel on Tuesday September 2 at the Talbot Hotel .
This is an opportunity for rate payers to hear directly from Sligo BID leaders, meet the Clonmel BID team and learn about Clonmel’s five-year strategy
READ NEXT: Profound shock over death of teenage Tipperary girl who died after falling ill at a music festival
If the vote is in favour of setting up a BID in Clonmel the levy to fund the company would be paid by all rate payers in the town, including large multi-nationals and chain stores.