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From hotel to sandwich shop, solicitors to
family and chain stores, the number of BID champions continues to
grow as they throw their weight behind the BID campaign. Here a
cross-section of Taunton town centre businesses give their views.
Kevin McCarthy, Director and General Manager of The Castle Hotel,
has championed the BID campaign from the start:
“Count me in, absolutely. To vote ‘no’ you’d have to be completely
satisfied with the status quo in Taunton – and we all know we can do
a whole lot better.
I’m fully in favour. It means at the very minimum we’d have a fund
of £1.2 million available over five years - new money, ring fenced
money, that would be fully under our control.
Think of the potential power of about 700 businesses working
together with independent funding. In many ways that’s the real
prize!
With 30 other places already signed up and more becoming BID areas,
our competitors will almost certainly grab the opportunity to get a
competitive advantage over us.”
 Dennis King, owner of King’s Cycles in Station Road, thinks
the BID is a “great idea.”
“For a small investment, all businesses will have a say in improving
their own area. This end of town always gets forgotten. I’d like to
see improved signage to get people down here, Christmas lights,
hanging baskets, clean roads.
Finally with the BID we have an opportunity to be instrumental in
making things happen.”
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 Julie Morris, store manager at Debenhams, is very
positive:
“I’m definitely in favour. The way we live today, people want to be
entertained when they shop; we have very little leisure time and
when we use it we want it to count.
Taunton should be far more vibrant, to reflect the lifestyle and
people who live here. Anything we can do to improve the town, the
more we can progress it, can only be of benefit.”
 Dennis Calvert, MD of Calverts (Taunton) Ltd, believes becoming a
BID would be good for the whole town centre including Station Road,
where the family business has been for 60 years.
“This is an area where all sorts of specialist firms are
established. With the development of the town centre a lot of growth
will take place, and I’m happy the BID will promote the whole of our
road and the town centre.
Such a lot can be done with it, and I’m looking forward to hearing
more.”
 Hugh Duder, MD of the family-owned County Stores (Somerset) Ltd
had initial doubts.
“I was suspicious at first because it’s an expense on top of rates
we already pay. But the BID will seek to progress the business
ratepayers’ ideas and I fully support its mission.
“We are looking to achieve a brighter, better, more friendly,
cleaner environment coupled with a more welcoming approach to
shoppers and visitors to our town.”
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