Focus Group for BID levy payers
On Wednesday 28th November, WQBA held its first annual focus group for WQBA businesses to feed into the business planning process for the next financial year. The session was facilitated by Dr Julie Grail from Partnership Solutions and aimed to gauge perceptions of the BID and its activity to date and input into its business planning going forward. A selection of businesses was invited to represent the different sectors and types of organisation within the BID area to gain a representative view from local businesses beyond the immediate WQBA Board and sub-group members.
 
Attendees were asked to grade their awareness of WQBA and its projects on a sliding scale and to rate their perceived impact of these projects in the area. The attendees showed a good awareness of WQBA activity, with particular reference made to the BID's involvement in the summer carnival, Christmas lights and the trial steam-clean in Lower Marsh. A recurring theme was the function of WQBA as a 'route into the Council' and a means of referring business complaints and concerns to Lambeth Council via a representative organisation and also as a general 'enquiry line' regarding issues such as parking and deliveries.The group felt that the quality of overall communications with businesses was good and that the staff team were approachable and responsive to business needs.
 
Overall awareness of the BID's structure, and business plan did not score so highly and there was a strong feeling that, whilst there was awareness of the activity underway in the area, more needed to be done to promote WQBA's involvement in this to demonstrate to the levy payers what they are getting for their money. It was also noted that more businesses needed to be encouraged to become Company Members to ensure their involvement in WQBA's decision-making processes.
 
The discussion was very productive and a number of positive actions and outcomes have arisen:
  • Issues with waste collection and parking enforcement are still a major concern for local businesses. WQBA will undertake further 'street audit' activity and feed this into the Council in a co-ordinated way to seek resolution to the problem
  • A considerable interest in the BID providing a recycling service for its members and to investigate locations for bottle bins for use by local bars and restaurants. A successful BID extension into Southwark will enable a recycling project to be rolled out. In the mean time, WQBA will lobby for additional recycling bins in the area
  • Interest in reviving a pub-watch scheme and ring-rounds between local pubs/bars and WQBA to advise of any security of anti-social behaviour issues.

For more information about the focus group meeting, call Helen Santer at 020 7620 1201.  

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