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One vision, one city: Why I’m supporting the unified Bristol BID
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The future of Bristol’s city centre has never felt more important - or more full of opportunity.
As Chair of Redcliffe & Temple BID since its inception in 2021, I’ve seen how targeted investment, strategic partnership and bold thinking can drive meaningful change in BID areas. From climate action to placemaking, from promoting equality to enhancing the visitor experience, the BID model has helped us create a thriving and inclusive district that reflects the best of our city.
Now, we have the chance to scale that impact city-wide.
I’m proud to support the proposal to unite our three central BIDs - Redcliffe & Temple, Broadmead and Bristol City Centre - into a single, more powerful entity: Bristol BID.
This isn’t just about merging operations; it’s a bold, forward-looking plan to reimagine how we support Bristol’s business community and shape a vibrant city centre.
The proposal sets out a £18 million investment over five years, driven by a modernised governance model and a shared vision for the future. If approved in the upcoming ballot (running from Thursday 5 June to Thursday 3 July), Bristol BID could generate up to £3.8 million annually from over 1,000 businesses - unlocking new potential for the entire city centre.
This is an opportunity to deliver at scale in the city across key themes: safety and support, sustainable growth, destination marketing, public realm enhancement and business resilience. It’s not only about greater efficiency; it’s about better delivery, deeper engagement and increased value for everyone who lives, works and visits here.
As Steve Bluff, Director of Redcliffe & Temple BID, recently put it: “The Redcliffe & Temple area has evolved rapidly in recent years, and we’ve shown what targeted BID investment can achieve. Uniting as Bristol BID would allow us to expand that success and ensure our growing business community is fully supported across the whole city centre.”
At Womble Bond Dickinson, we’ve long championed collaboration and inclusive leadership. Our teams are active across BID-supported initiatives, from green infrastructure workshops to partnerships with Babbasa that support businesses on their equality, diversity and inclusion journeys.
These efforts reflect our belief that thriving cities are built by coalitions and collaboration, not silos. A unified BID offers exactly that: a city-wide platform to amplify what works and expand what’s possible.
We’ve already seen the impact of projects like the Bristol Light Festival, support for the Bristol Harbour Festival and targeted efforts to improve safety and the public realm in Redcliffe & Temple. We've also seen tremendous engagement from business on well-being initiatives and digital learning platforms all provided by the BID to levy payers. The BIDs respond to important stakeholder engagement on both city-wide issues such as transport as well as specific development proposals. Imagine those benefits and initiatives scaled up, with a shared brand, consistent voice and coordinated plan. Having returned once again from Leeds for this year's UKREiiF conference I have seen first hand what benefits a city-wide BID can deliver. We can replicate that here albeit in our own way driven by our own priorities.
The proposed Bristol BID will officially launch on Saturday 1 November 2025, if supported by businesses in the upcoming ballot. It will run through to the end of October 2030, with existing commitments in the City Centre and Broadmead areas maintained until 2027 and 2028 respectively under the terms of their current mandates.
This is a pivotal moment for Bristol. A 'yes' vote isn’t just a vote for structural change - it’s a vote for ambition, for unity and for delivering the kind of city centre we all want to see: inclusive, resilient and future-focused.
So, I urge all business leaders within the proposed BID area to engage with the proposal, take part in the consultation and all those eligible to cast your vote. Let’s build on our success, scale our impact and shape the next chapter of our city together.
Let’s say yes to one voice, one city and one powerful future for Bristol.
Jon Bower, Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson and Chair of Redcliffe & Temple BID