A £1.5MILLION investment programme will begin in Blackburn town centre if the renewal process for the Business Improvement District’s next five-year term is successful.

Earlier this month, the town’s BID launched a consultation as it hopes to win approval for another five-year term.

The current term ends on December 31.

Since its inception in 2013, the BID has worked to market and promote Blackburn as a vibrant town centre, and create a safer, more secure town centre.

The BID has also strived to create a sustainable, cleaner and more attractive environment, and to attract and support businesses.

The £1.5m will be invested into the town centre by Blackburn BID through levy payers’ subscriptions.

In a report to go before council forum on Thursday, executive member for regeneration Cllr Phil Riley said: “The renewal process for Blackburn town centre BID’s next five-year term is under way.

“Business consultations and a draft business plan are being shared with town centre businesses prior to a formal voting period in October.

“The success and achievements of the last five years are being promoted and feedback from businesses is encouraging.

“If the vote is successful, a five-year programme of investment totalling around £1.5m will begin from January 2019,” said Cllr Riley.

The BID was first elected by around 350 town centre businesses in 2013 and by the end of 2018 will already have invested £1.5m into helping to transform the face of Blackburn’s town centre and regenerate Blackburn’s image.

The team has also helped the town win prestigious awards, such as the Winner of Winners of The Great British High Street Awards and Britain in Bloom Gold Awards in 2017, as well as attracting and welcoming new businesses.

The BID has been consulting its members to find out what they want to achieve in a new term if re-elected in October.

The questionnaires will be followed up by stakeholder events, individual meetings and discussions to help the board to develop a new business plan determining where the investment will be spent.

Launching the consultation earlier this year prior to leaving the role, Blackburn BID manager, Harriet Roberts, said: “Five years ago, businesses voted for a BID for the town centre based on a manifesto and a business plan which reflected their priorities in 2013.

“The town centre has changed a lot since then and so have consumer habits.

“We have different challenges and therefore we need to go back out to businesses to find out what their top priorities are and what they would like to see if the BID is to continue beyond the end of the year.

“The consultation is chance for businesses to input in to a business plan for 2019-2023.

“We want to know what they would like to see improved whether its promoting the area, more police, concerns about the environment or something else.”