BID2

 

New Projects

Following consultation with the BID area businesses, new target areas have been identified for BID2, in addition to the existent service provision.

You told us you would like Kingstonfirst to increase tourist, retail and leisure visitor numbers to Kingston town centre through:

  • Making the historic heart of Kingston a memorable place to visit and revisit
  • Promoting, managing and developing a broad range of markets and activities in the open areas of Kingston town centre
  • Promoting, managing and developing the use of Kingston town centre riverside

The local authority currently provides services that work to achieve these aims, but the business community and the council believe would benefit from being managed by Kingstonfirst. Discussions are ongoing to arrange the transfer of services from RBK to Kingstonfirst- subject to agreement of suitable funding from RBK.

The services that are under discussion for BID2 to provide are:

SERVICE

DESCRIPTION

Community Events Management
  • Manage, organise and be responsible for all elements of a range of Kingston Town Centre Community Events

This is subject to the completion of a successful trial period in 2009

May Merrie

Tourism Development and Destination Management
  • Promote the BID area as a tourist destination
  • Develop tourism initiatives with appropriate external agencies, and tourism based businesses in the BID and surrounding areas (including Hampton Court Palace and Chessington World of Adventures) to help promote tourism within the town centre.

Market Service Management
  • Manage the town centre market operations including day to day facilities management and development of existing provision (including Ancient and Monday markets, and management of the Ancient Market Open Space).

Ancient Market

Market House Management
  • Responsibility for all elements of the day to day management and operation of the Market House, including lettings.
  • Develop the Market House in line with proposals to create a cultural quarter in that part of the town centre.

Market House

Street Activities and Riverside Management
  • Responsibility for managing, controlling and licensing a range of agreed street activities such as busking, events, permissions etc.
  • Consider options for taking on formal licensing and enforcement responsibilities for street trading activities within the BID area.

For the draft service transfer proposal, click here.

Further Initiatives

In addition to the transfer of services from RBK, in order to achieve the aims of the business community, the Kingstonfirst BID will:

  • Support the advanced plans to upgrade All Saints' Church and surrounding area 
  • Work with partners to upgrade flexibility of facilities in the Ancient Market Place, including for the provision of evening and cultural activities.

All Saints Church

*Some of these projects are subject to matched funding from partners, including the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Government Office for London and Transport for London