PLANS are underway to introduce a scheme to improve Colne town centre and boost tourism.

Community leaders hope to set up a Business Improvement District (BID) to boost trade and attract people into the town.

It comes as Burnley Council has also revealed they are in early talks about setting up something similar.

If it goes ahead traders could be asked to pay a levy to help fund the schemes.

Business leaders in Colne have largely welcomed the plans with 80 per cent of the 50 businesses asked giving it the thumbs up.

A consultation is now being held with the wider town centre and commercial district, including Boundary Mill, earmarked as potential BID area.

A referendum would also have to be held with more than half of those eligible to vote giving it the go-ahead.

A consultation document drawn up by Colne Town Council said the Colne BID would be led by businesses and would create a new investment fund.

Cllr Sarah Cockburn-Price, who helped get the item on the agenda at Colne Town Council, said they had looked at BID schemes elsewhere including Skipton.

She said: "It would allow the town to improve and gain more footfall for the benefit of the businesses.

"A lot of businesses are exempt if they get business rate relief. We are looking at around one to three per cent on the rateable value."

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She said similar schemes had spent the cash on marketing, improving street furniture and putting on more events with the aim of attracting more shoppers.

"We have to make sure people see what the benefits are and it has to be something that brings tangible profits for these businesses," she said.

Miranda Barker, chief executive of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: "By and large they have been positive.

"Businesses will need to see an improvement in the local area and within their own businesses, which can take some time."

Cllr Mark Townsend, leader of Burnley Council, said it was also looking at setting up a BID scheme.

He said: "I do think they are beneficial and we are looking at doing something similar in Burnley. We are doing some work to see if businesses are interested."

Chris Gribben, former general manager of the Charter Walk Shopping Centre in Burnley, said there were previous plans to introduce a BID in 2006 but it never rgot off the ground.

"It did not really get the momentum behind it and the support it required," he said.

"I think if it has got the support of the business community and retailers it can be advantageous and can offer benefits beyond the normal services provided."

Henry Hooks, owner of The Green Chimney in Albert Road, said: "We do need to see improvements but we do not want to put money in a pot and for nothing to materialise.

"We do not want it to be absorbed in bureaucracy and not into the physicality of the place."

Stephen Turner, owner of Turners which opens in Colne today after moving from Barrowford, said: "We are keen on anything that helps improve the local area.

"There has been quite a bit of investment in the last year and it is a great time to be here but we can't afford to rest on our laurels. We have to look at developing our area."

Harriet Roberts, manager of Blackburn BID, said: "To succeed as a BID has done in Blackburn you need enough decent sized big businesses and large high street chains.

"They pay the larger levies to generate a reasonable annual income to help the high street and support the smaller independents, which a town needs to survive."

She added it was also about communication and collaboration between the council and businesses.

A consultation event will be held on Wednesday, June 14 at Colne Town Hall in Albert Road at 5.30pm.