FOR Cardiff: The vote that shapes our city

Carolyn Brownell – Executive Director, FOR Cardiff

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When we talk about the future of our high streets, we often focus on footfall, investment and experience.

Less visible, but just as important, is the legal framework that underpins how many places are funded and managed, via over 340 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) across the UK.

BIDs are underpinned by legislation, providing a formal way for businesses to collectively invest in their trading environment.

Every five years, this is tested through an independently run postal ballot, requiring a dual majority by both number of voters and total rateable value to succeed.

It is a robust system, and one that has delivered consistently, with more than 90% of BID ballots resulting in a yes vote.

However, it is not universal. There have been no votes, and that is a critical part of the model, reinforcing that BIDs are not imposed upon places, but must be earned.

That balance between structure and choice is what gives the model its strength, but it is not without its limitations.

The legal requirement for a postal ballot can lead to low turnout, despite the significance of the decision being made.

Outcomes are determined by those who engage in the process, yet all eligible businesses within the BID area are mandated to contribute to the levy for the full five-year term if the ballot is successful.

There is also an ongoing conversation across the sector about the set five-year term.

While it ensures accountability, it can restrict the ability of more established BIDs to plan strategically or commit to longer-term investment.

It is also important to recognise that the BID sector, like any industry, faces its challenges.

Many are led by highly skilled place professionals, delivering across a complex mix of sectors and stakeholders, with strong governance and clear accountability.

Others have struggled, whether through limited engagement, a lack of transparency or failing to apply local insight.

That reality is reflected in ballot outcomes, including in parts of Wales where businesses have chosen not to continue.

Within this context, every ballot ultimately comes down to a simple but important question: does this BID deliver value? What that value looks like will differ across organisations.

What a small independent business considers a return will not be the same as a major employer such as Admiral or Cardiff University.

The challenge for BIDs is to understand those nuances and ensure plans reflect that diversity.

As we approach June, that question becomes very real for Cardiff. FOR Cardiff will go to ballot for its third term, asking over 1,000 businesses to support a further five years of investment from 2026 to 2031.

What sits behind that ballot is not just a formal process, but nearly a year of engagement.

Through surveys, one-to-one meetings, workshops and drop-in sessions, businesses have helped shape the direction of the next term.

That input is critical, as the business plan forms the basis on which businesses are asked to vote.

For Cardiff, this next term is about responding to a city that is evolving.

A key part of that is the proposed expansion of the BID area to include Cardiff Bay, recognising that the city centre and the Bay are part of a connected economic ecosystem, particularly as major investment and development continues.

Expanding the BID is therefore not simply about geography, but about taking a more strategic, joined-up approach to how the city functions, ensuring businesses across both areas benefit from coordinated activity, stronger advocacy and increased investment.

Of course, none of this is guaranteed. A BID ballot is ultimately a decision made by businesses, shaped by their experience of delivery, confidence in the future plan, and belief in the value of collective action.

For Cardiff, we are asking our business community to continue that journey with us, because while a BID is a legal mechanism, at its heart it is something much simpler: a decision about whether we believe our city is stronger when we invest in it together.