Grand Union BID Proposal
The Grand Union BID is being proposed by The Paddington Partnership. Paddington has undergone significant change over the past 25+ years, attracting global businesses to the district and making Paddington one of London’s fastest growing and desirable commercial locations. There is an impressive, established body of businesses in Paddington, with a strong sense of connection, evidenced in their commitment to place and community. The Grand Union BID is an opportunity to create London’s principal hub of social value activity.
Moving to a BID-based model builds on the critical mass of Paddington’s intellectual capital, providing a platform for the greatest concentration of community activity in London. Innovation, knowledge, skills and relationships will converge to address polarisation, health inequalities, life expectancy, education outcomes and economic ambition in Westminster.
What is a BID?
A Business Improvement District (BID) is a statutory designation; a defined area where local businesses invest collectively to deliver a suite of projects, activities and services set out in a formal business plan. BIDs are business-led organisations funded by a mandatory levy on all eligible businesses following a successful ballot. A levy is charged in addition to the business rates bill and is used to provide ringfenced funding for projects that benefit the local business community, its staff, customers, clients and guests.
The BID proposal has been developed by talking to businesses over the course of 2024 and 2025, evolving and incorporating ideas from businesses right across Paddington.
Read the full BID Proposal
The BID will deliver a range of projects and services for businesses, under the themes of Regenerate, Connect, Engage and Represent. You can read the full BID Proposal below which includes detail on the benefits, the BID levy, governance and the BID ballot.
The BID Proposer
The Grand Union BID is proposed by The Paddington Partnership, a voluntary membership organisation already comprising some of the biggest landowners and companies in the UK. The Partnership has, for the last 25 years, delivered a range of projects and services to regenerate, engage and connect. The success and growing demand for these programmes demonstrates the desire for expansion under a formal BID structure, which would provide the necessary resources and strategic planning to scale and enhance activity. The Paddington Partnership will be the legal entity for the Grand Union BID.
BID Benefits
The BID will bring businesses across Paddington together, achieving a unique collective impact.
- Regenerate: Curating long-term placemaking for a safe and accessible Paddington; providing practical tools for companies to assist staff, guests and visitors; equipping the district to meet evolving business expectations.
- Connect: Building on the Partnership’s successful social impact programme, scaling up activity and creating long-term, strategic community relationships; embedding social value and ESG in business operations.
- Engage: Delivering initiatives that support employee wellbeing, satisfaction and retention, attract people back to the office and celebrate Paddington’s social capital; building a strong, successful commercial ecosystem.
- Represent: Creating a statutory designation to enable Paddington's business community to form a cohesive voice.
All of these activities will be in addition to the services currently provided by statutory agencies and landlords.
The BID Area
The Grand Union BID will cover Paddington station, the eastern side of Eastbourne Terrace, Paddington Central, Merchant Square and the area around the Grand Union Canal up to Little Venice.
Governance
The BID will be business-led, providing the opportunity for Paddington businesses to have a direct say in projects and priorities. The BID Company is not for profit and limited by guarantee. The Paddington Partnership is the legal entity for the BID.
There will be a new Advisory Committee established for occupiers who will lead on specific areas within the BID’s remit.
Timetable
The ballot to create the Grand Union BID will be held in line with the Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004 by Civica, on behalf of Westminster City Council – the ballot holder.
Businesses will have until 5pm on Thursday 5 June 2025 to return completed ballot papers. The result of the ballot will be declared by Westminster Council’s Returning Officer on Friday 6 June 2025.
If a majority of businesses (by both number and rateable value) of those voting in the ballot vote to support the creation of the BID, the term will start formally on 13 June 2025 and last to 31 March 2030, four years and ten months.
Approximately 40 businesses, mostly offices and hotels, will become liable for the BID levy if the ballot is successful.
01.04.24
