BUSINESS bosses on Byres Road have backed a scheme which will result in £1million being invested in the area over the next five years.

 

They have voted overwhelmingly to set up a Business Improvement District which will result in them paying into a common fund to pay for a wide range of improvements aimed at attracting more shoppers.

All 200 businesses on the busy road and the lanes leading off it were asked to vote for the scheme to upgrade the area.

It resulted in a 63% turnout with 82% voting in favour of planned improvements.

The only other area in Glasgow to vote for a Business Improvement District is the city centre stretch of Sauchiehall Street.

Traders on Byres Road decided action was needed as the trendy shopping area is beginning to look rundown and neglected.

And they say shoppers are deserting the once bustling area in favour of out of town centres.

Paul Reynolds, chairman of the Byres road BID steering group, said he was delighted with the outcome of the vote.

He added: "People know something has to change and that we need to do it ourselves. Nobody is going to do it for us."

A board of directors will be set up to take forward the actions in the business plan for the area.

The first step will be to ask Keep Scotland Beautiful to carry out an audit to establish exactly what needs to be done to improve the environment.

Mr Reynolds said: "The BID means all the traders in the area now speak with one voice.

"It will also result in us having £1million for the next five years for marketing and events and we are hoping to get funding to improve the public realm.

"There are plans for a joint application to some of the major funding bodies from the BID team and the city council so work can be done on the streetscape.

"We cannot afford for Byres Road to die on its feet and as it gets better the landlords of empty units should be able to bring in more tenants because there will be more going on..

"We want to create the real buzz that such a Bohemian area should have and to get the area back to being a proper town centre."

The business plan says: "In recent years we have suffered from global financial pressures, high rates and rents and a declining physical environment, the growth of online retailing, out of town shopping centres and competition from neighbouring areas such as Finnieston.

"It is crucial Byres road ups its game to compete, prosper and remain Glasgow's jewel in the crown."

Actions include better parking, free wi-fi, temporary rent relief to encourage new businesses, busking points for entertainers, cutting traffic pollution, regular deep cleans of doorsteps, pavements and lanes and decorating the area with hanging baskets.

Liz Cameron, the city council's jobs and the economy spokeswoman, said of the BID vote: "This is great news for Byres Road and the West End. "The creation of a Business Improvement District for one of Glasgow's most famous streets will help to maintain its position as one of the most attractive areas in the city and a notable contributor to both our day and night-time economies.

"The overwhelming majority of those who participated voted in favour, underlining the confidence and hopes for the BID."

Two years ago, the Academy of Urbanism awarded Glasgow's West End - with Byres Road as its heart - the Best UK Neighbourhood.