Morecambe Business Improvement District given fresh five-year mandate

Morecambe's Business Improvement District (BID) will continue for a further five years after local businesses voted for its continuation.

Of the 115 businesses that took part in the ballot, 111 voted for renewal. The result secures Morecambe BID’s work, covering the town centre and promenade through to 2031.

Announcing the result of the ballot, BID leaders said the renewed term will see Morecambe BID deliver its business plan for 2026–2031, ‘Morecambe – Eden of the North’, focused on preparing the town for rising visitor numbers as Eden Project Morecambe develops. The plan is aimed at making Morecambe a more attractive place to live, work and visit, with continued investment in town centre safety, support for markets, festivals and events, and ongoing promotion and lobbying to raise Morecambe’s profile nationally.

David Waddington, chair of Morecambe BID, said: “This is a tremendous result, and one the whole town should be proud of. Our committee is entirely volunteers, people who already run their own businesses and careers, each giving up time to lead different projects across the town, because they care about Morecambe.

"A result like this tells us that effort hasn’t gone unnoticed. It gives us a clear mandate to keep going, and to build on everything we’ve delivered together over the past five years.”

John O’Neill, Morecambe BID manager, said: “When you look at everything that’s been delivered since 2016 — from CCTV and lighting to the WiFi network, the Playnetics trail and our work with Safe Morecambe — it’s been achieved by a genuinely small team and a committee of volunteers giving up their evenings and weekends.

"Working with a very small budget means we have to work smarter to make the money stretch. To see businesses back that so strongly in this ballot means a great deal, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote and everyone who has helped deliver the last five years.”

Daniel Brereton, Morecambe BID ambassador, said: “I’m out on the streets and in and out of businesses every week, so I know first-hand how much people care about Morecambe and want to see it thrive. Seeing that reflected in the ballot result is brilliant — it means we get to carry on with the markets, the events and all the day-to-day work that makes a difference to businesses and residents alike.”