Introducing our new Otley BID Champion, Rachelle Atkin, and updates on all our ongoing projects.
Annual General Meeting
Our Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday 30th May from 5.30pm with welcome drinks, starting at 6pm prompt at the Otley Parish Church.
As well as the usual formalities, we have also arranged for a speaker from Newstead & Walker Solicitors to give a short talk on the subject of Rent/Lease Agreements and Reviews, which will open up to a Q&A session to enable tenants to discuss any issues they may have/be encountering.
New BID Champions
We no longer employ a BID Manager and with the funds saved we are introducing two new part time’ BID Champion’ roles.
Rachelle Atkin of The Yorkshire Marketing Company will be our BID Champion on the streets. She has been involved with the BID since the very early days and has always dealt with our marketing & communications. She is already well known to many of you as she also runs the very successful Social Media Training Cafes.
Her brief is to contact, by any means possible, all our local businesses and be the link between you and our Board of Directors.
Tim Wilkinson of Dowgill House Bed & Breakfast, has been helping us for some time now. His speciality is dealing with subjects such as planning regulations, landlords and contracts (he has been instrumental in sorting out the derelict shop on Kirkgate). Tim is also our link to various departments within Leeds City Council. As with Rachelle, he is well known around town as the owner of a town centre business with his wife Helen, as well as his involvement with the Chamber of Trade and the monthly Economic Bulletin.
If you would like to arrange meeting with either Rachelle or Tim please contact them as follows:
Rachelle Atkin – info@otleybid.co.uk
Tim Wilkinson –Â tim.wilkinson@otleybid.co.uk
Window Art
We received a fantastic response to the Christmas scenes we arranged to be painted on 2 of our empty shops; Tui on Kirkgate and Taylors on Westgate.
As we move into warmer weather we have arranging for these Winter scenes to be replaced in April with a Spring/Summer theme with a nod to the upcoming cycle races that will be coming through our town in the upcoming months.
If you’d like to get involved and paint your windows, please contact talented artist Jenny Tribillon direct at www.jennytribillon.com.
Otley Market Sub Groups – Get Involved!
We are in the process of setting up 2 ‘Markets’ sub-groups to create a simple BID vision for the future of our Otley Market:
- Market Sub-Group 1 – Vision for the Future
- Market Sub-Group 2 – Wednesday Activities
There are places available on these sub-groups and we urge businesses who would like to get involved in revitalising and shaping the future of the weekly Markets to contact us at info@otleybid.co.uk.
New Cash Machine
We are aware and concerned that following the closures of a number of banks on our high street, and the recent announcement that Santander will also closed their doors on Otley in May, that this is having a huge knock on effect to the number of cash machines available within the town.
We have therefore, been in discussions with the Post Office who are supporting an application for an additional cash point to be installed. Watch this space for further updates.
New Conservation Area Bollards
We are delighted that, following our commitment to Clean Up Otley and our subsequent discussions with Leeds City Council, we now have some lovely new black ‘conservation area’ style bollards which have replaced the unsightly concrete bollards that were situated outside Nam Jai Thai on Manor Square.
Broken Windows
We have secured an arrangement with local joinery manufacturers and glaziers, the Askwith Window Company.
If any shops have fallen victim to a broken window, they will attend quickly and repair at a favourable rate to Otley BID levy payers.
They can be contacted via T: 01943 461083 or E: info@askwithwindowcompany.co.uk
Annual Business Rates & BID Levy Bills
The annual Business Rate and BID Levy bills were sent out recently by Leeds City Council and should now have landed with our stakeholders.
If you have any questions regarding your Business Rates, please contact LCC direct using the contact numbers on your bill.
If you have any questions regarding your BID Levy, please contact us at info@otleybid.co.uk.
We’re Here to Help
As the next 5 year term starts on 1st April 2019 is there anything that you are bursting to tell us that we should be doing? Don’t keep ideas to yourself, speak to us, we may be able to make your idea a reality. Please email us at info@otleybid.co.uk.