Bristol businesses deliver a YES vote for a unified and expanded BID, unlocking £18 million investment for the city centre

Businesses across Bristol city centre have voted positively in favour of creating a single, unified Business Improvement District (BID), ushering in a new era of partnership, investment and ambition for the city. The result showed strong support, with 75% of votes cast in favour and 85% by rateable value, confirming a clear mandate for the new BID.

The new Bristol BID will formally launch on 1 November 2025, bringing together the existing Bristol City Centre, Broadmead and Redcliffe & Temple BIDs into one organisation representing over 1,000 businesses. This landmark decision follows months of consultation, hundreds of business engagements and a citywide ballot, demonstrating strong confidence in a unified future.

With the vote secured, more than £18 million will be invested directly into Bristol’s city centre over the next five years. This funding will drive a comprehensive programme of improvements, including enhanced safety measures, better public spaces, stronger environmental action and year-round campaigns and events that showcase Bristol as one of the UK’s most vibrant and forward-looking destinations.

The BID team – made up of the same experienced professionals who have consistently delivered for Bristol – will now work across a larger area, with an increasingly joined-up approach. This unified model will streamline operations, foster greater collaboration and unlock over £500,000 in savings over the five-year term, which will be fully reinvested into services that benefit businesses and communities.

Steve Bluff, Director of Redcliffe & Temple BID and lead for the new Bristol BID, welcomed the result as a defining moment for the city:

“It’s not every day a city centre gets the chance to reset its future. This is a business-led vision that puts local voices at the heart of shaping Bristol’s next chapter. The YES vote is more than an endorsement of a plan - it’s a clear commitment to collaboration, innovation and raising our collective ambition.”

The new BID will continue to deliver the initiatives that businesses already value – such as the award-winning Bristol Light Festival. The city’s safety teams – a coordinated group of professionals including Street Rangers, Street Intervention Officers, PCSOs and volunteer Street Pastors – will also continue their essential work in making the city centre safer, more welcoming and more supportive for all.

The BID’s future work will be shaped by four core themes: investing in a Clean & Welcoming environment; enhancing safety and supporting communities through Safe & Supported Communities; delivering standout events and campaigns under Experiences & Promotion; and leading environmental action through Sustainable & Green. Together, these pillars provide a focused yet flexible framework for delivering tangible, city-wide improvements.

Under the new structure, governance will also expand. Working groups will give levy-paying businesses the opportunity to shape priorities, guide delivery and ensure accountability.

Jon Bower, Partner Womble Bond Dickinson and current chair of the Redcliffe & Temple BID Advisory Board, added:

“This is a transformative step that brings greater efficiency, investment, transparency and impact for all sectors of the city centre. We now have a structure that allows us to do more, act faster and speak with one united voice, bringing business communities together across the city centre.”

From Park Street to Temple Meads, from Cabot Circus to Queen Square, businesses have shown that they believe in the power of unity to drive change. Today’s result reflects a shared confidence that Bristol can lead nationally and internationally with a bold, business-led model.

The new Bristol BID term will run from 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2030. In the weeks and months ahead, the BID team will begin implementing a transition plan, developing delivery priorities and establishing the new Advisory Board and working groups. Businesses will be invited to get involved, helping to shape an ambitious, business-led programme that reflects the needs and aspirations of the city centre.

For more information on the ballot and the proposals, visit https://bristolcitycentrebid.co.uk/, https://www.redcliffeandtemplebid.co.uk/ and https://broadmeadbristolbid.co.uk/.

BID Updates - Bristol BID

Bristol businesses deliver a YES vote for a unified and expanded BID, unlocking £18 million investment for the city centre

Steve Bluff, Director of Redcliffe & Temple BID and lead for the new Bristol BID, welcomed the result as a defining moment for the city:

Jon Bower, Partner Womble Bond Dickinson and current chair of the Redcliffe & Temple BID Advisory Board, added:

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