Peterborough Positive is giving residents and visitors reasons to enjoy city centre life

In just two years, Peterborough’s Business Improvement District (BID) has driven a change in the way the city centre is seen by visitors as well as helping to increase the earnings of traders.

That is the verdict of Pep Cipriano, the chief operating officer of Peterborough Positive, the city's BID, and which has just hit the halfway point of its first five years term.

Alongside Mr Cipriano, the BID team includes PC Jay Cullimore, a specially appointed police officer for the city centre, newly appointed city centre ambassador Terry Alton and marketing manager Terri Flack.

They all play vital roles ensuring the BID fulfils its business plan, which demands an improvement in safety and crime reduction, the hosting and promotion of city centre events that will draw in residents and visitors and enhancing the city’s image.

Mr Cipriano said: “We are halfway through the BID’s term and I think we are at a really good point.

"We have the team that we need to deliver the business plan and we are delivering it.”

He said safety had been the biggest concern that came out of the consultation with the levy payers, which are the 419 businesses that agreed to the creation of the BID.

The fight against crime, particularly shop lifting and anti-social behaviour, has been given a highly visible profile with the appointment of PC Jay Cullimore as the centre’s dedicated police officer, and city centre ambassador Terry Alton, who is the city’s ‘eyes and ears’ and reports any issue from cracked pavings to rough sleepers to the local authority for urgent attention.

A significant move was the launch of a special DISC app that allows all traders to immediately report any crimes, there is a quarterly security forum and the Pub Watch group has been revived.

The appointment of Jay Cullimore and the development of the app is having an impact.

Jay said: “Businesses know they have their own police officer. We have seen an increase in crime reporting since I joined in October last year.

"Reporting crime has plateaued at about 60 a month – and that is good as it shows the true picture of the problem we face and allows us to plan accordingly to deal with the issues more effectively.

"We have improved lines of inquiry, investigations happen quicker and businesses are more informed about the stages reached by investigations."

The many events staged in the city centre over the two years have been a real success story for the BID

Mr Cipriano said: “Our events have included an Easter weekend theatre in Cathedral Square, Peterborough’s Strongest, yoga on Cathedral Green, which has been really successful and will be extended into an empty unit in Queensgate, the Halloween trail, and the Wimbledon and Glastonbury screenings.

He said: “The BID is supposed to think in a unique way and we have put on things in the city centre which are clearly attracting footfall and also extending the time visitors spend in the city.

He added: “Far more businesses have been able to report an upturn in their takings as a result of these events."

He said: “We put on events that we think will attract footfall and extend people’s ‘dwell time’ in the city.

"I think the city does have a ‘dwell time’ issue so it was great to hear that as a result of the Glastonbury screenings, businesses like Turtle Bay, Queen’s Head and Benny & Jerry’s increased their earnings.”

Mr Cipriano said “I’d love to put on more events but it does take time and money.

"Our work on events and safety is going very well.

"What I’d like to do more of is business networking and action around the city's tourism strategy and Peterborough City Council’s plans for Cathedral Square and Guild Hall.

"We would also like to do more to celebrate the city’s enterprising and successful businesses.

"We have set up working groups for the Cowgate, Rivergate and Westgate areas, which we feel need a bit more attention and TLC. The BID can provide better communication to the businesses about what is happening in their areas – it is the added value that the BID provides.

Marketing and action to promote the city is another key aspect of Peterborough Positive’s work.

Mr Cipriano said: "I am pushing with the local authority to work with it on the city’s tourism strategy as I do believe that it is the missing piece in our city.

"I don’t believe our city has an identity. If our city is anything it is the Passport Office, the Posh and the Cathedral.

"But it is more than that and deserves to be more than that and I am really keen to make sure we drive that tourism strategy forward and that will give the city the status it deserves.

"And part of that strategy is trying to change the perceptions of the city. It does get a bad view from outside for no particular reason and I think we need to change that and it starts with the Business Improvement District because if you start to come into the city centre and it is cleaner and it is safer and there are lots of attractive things going on that perception will change.”

"He added: "I am delighted with the feedback from levy payers and partners. The things we do are different and we’re already thinking about next year and the year after.”