A Business Improvement District (BID) is a geographically-defined area, where businesses come together and agree to invest collectively in projects and services that the businesses believe will improve their trading environment. BID projects are new and additional projects and services; they do not replace services that are already provided by Clackmannanshire Council and other statutory bodies.

BIDs are developed, managed and paid for by the non-domestic sector by means of a compulsory levy, which the eligible persons in the proposed BID area must vote in favour of before the BID can be established. Each eligible person liable to pay the BID levy will be able to vote on whether the BID goes ahead.

For the ballot to be successful there must be a minimum turnout of 25% by number of eligible voters (the headcount) and rateable value, with the majority voting in favour by both number and rateable value. This protects the small and large businesses as the voting system requires all four conditions to be met.

Alloa’s Town Centre BID first became operational in October 2008. Over the past 15 years, the BID has invested over £1,500,000 of levy payer’s money into Alloa town centre; the highlights and achievements are documented in our business plan.

In 2018 you asked us to focus on these key areas:

• Making Alloa more vibrant, welcoming, and better promoted.
• Providing a collective voice for businesses and organisations.
• Improving the look of the town centre to create a better first impression.
• Increasing the additional investment and improvements to Alloa Town Centre.

We managed street and sign-post cleaning, weed clearing, sign and lamp post painting, street banners, secured a grant to fund street art, installed a comprehensive CCTV system, supported the much-used recycling, enhanced the hanging baskets and street floral displays, introduced and manage a town Facebook group, supplied business guidance and advice, supplied Covid PPE and signage, gift bags, secured a grant to develop a town centre website shop, introduced a monthly market, introduced Love Local magazine, fully-fund the Christmas tree, street lights, switch on events, town centre entertainment during school holidays, family treasure hunts and Easter trail, Santa’s Grotto, STORM parade, and this year’s Dinosaur Day event to name a few projects and activities.

Over the next five years Alloa First would continue to focus on the key areas, enhancing the town and introducing many more new projects that will make Alloa more vibrant, welcoming, and promoted. We want to deliver more day and evening events that will bring increased footfall and business opportunities to the many Alloa businesses. We would investigate fully new projects where operating as a ‘single group’ could reduce administration or bring day-to-day cost savings to many businesses.

Over the past 15 years, through Alloa First, businesses have invested into the town centre. Many businesses want to maintain this effort and look to bring further enhancements that will continue to boost the economy and continue to make Alloa Town centre better for businesses and its visitors.