About Us

What is Kings Heath BID?

There are hundreds of Business Improvement Districts (BID) across Britain. A BID is where a group of businesses in a geographically defined area agree to a small (usually under 3%) additional levy linked to their property’s rateable value, which they then use to improve the business and shopping environment, with the intention of ultimately increasing their sales.

In the case of Kings Heath BID, the geographical area is along Kings Heath High Street and the shops on the side roads off it.

Every five years, a BID has to hold a renewal ballot of its businesses to see if they agree to another five years of the BID. The first five years of Kings Heath BID was April 2008 to March 2013. The third term ended in March 2023 and the new, fourth five-year period began in April 2023, running to March 2028.

Kings Heath BID is made up of around 300 businesses and organisations within the defined geographical area who have agreed to each pay a BID levy equivalent to 2% of their rateable value. This levy raises approximately £150k per year which is pumped back into improving Kings Heath Centre.

Governance

The strategy of Kings Heath BID is set out by a Board of Directors, the majority of whom own or manage businesses in Kings Heath. Their projects are implemented by the BID Manager and staff team.

Achievements and Projects

Since 2008, the BID in Kings Heath has achieved many things that have contributed to keeping our high street among the best in the city. And, during the BID’s fourth term, it will be delivering those projects in its business plan that businesses have voted to support, along with many other exciting plans and initiatives.

Our current areas of work include:

Supporting Your Business

Supporting our local business community is at the heart of everything we do. Using our influence and contacts, we’ve ensured that the voices of Kings Heath businesses are heard at Birmingham City Council, by the Highways Team, West Midlands Police, waste removal companies and so much more.

What’s more, we’ve recently teamed up with BIRA to offer all the benefits of their membership, including reduced utilities bills and cheaper card processing rates, to our members for no extra fee! Get in touch with membership@bira.co.uk and let them know we sent you to get started.

Safe and Accessible

Our tireless Street Warden team are out and about day in, day out around the BID area, keeping the local area and businesses safe. They regularly recover hundreds of pounds worth of shoplifted goods and act as a visible deterrent to antisocial behaviour in the area. The team are all friendly and willing and able to help in a wide variety of situations, including when police might not respond quickly enough.

We’re also working with Our Scene CIC to make the High Street more accessible to people with different needs, such as wheelchair users or those with sensory sensitivities. You can find out more about this project on our Accessibility page.

Clean and Green

We work with local volunteers to keep our area clean, including working with Kings Heath and Brandwood Litter Pickers, as well as other volunteers who generously dedicate their free time to cleaning up graffiti and caring for the BID’s planter boxes along the High Street.

We also install and operate the decorative lights in the trees and Christmas lights on the lampposts in the area, just one more way we’re making Kings Heath more attractive for shoppers.

Marketing and Events

We use our platform and reach within the local community to promote our local businesses through social media, BT Hub advertising screens along the High Street and email newsletter, and strengthen the business community through regular networking events.

We work with various local groups to facilitate and promote events which attract thousands of people to Kings Heath, such as Eid in Kings Heath, Queens Heath Pride, as well as the regular Farmers’ and Artisan markets.