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BiD Appoint Board to Drive City Centre Change

Eleven prominent Aberdeen business figures have been elected to the Board of the Aberdeen Business Improvement District (BiD) by its membership - which consists of over 500 city centre organisations – following its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) last night (29 November, 2011).

Barry Matheson, managing director Edinburgh and Aberdeen, John Lewis is one of five directors to represent the retail sector. He is joined by Craig Stevenson, centre manager of the Bon-Accord Centre, John Michie, director of Charles Michie Chemist, general manager of The Trinity Centre, Linda Stewart and finally Ryan Manson, managing director of Union Square Developments Ltd.

Representing the hospitality and leisure sectors are Duncan Hendry, chief executive, Aberdeen Performing Arts, the director of the Carmelite, Gary Atkinson and Geoff Cooper, director of McDonalds.

Finally, Bill Somerville, director of estates and property services at Robert Gordon University, Liam Smyth, advertising manager at Aberdeen Journals Ltd and F.G. Burnett director, Richard Noble, will represent the office and financial sectors.

The new directors will spearhead a series of initiatives to improve the city centre using a new multi-million pound fund which will collect more than £3.5million across a five year period.

BiD chairman, John Michie, said: “It is imperative that any large enterprise of this nature has a robust Board at its helm and this is mirrored by the calibre of the appointed individuals who will work on behalf of the needs of all member businesses.

“Their collective talents, knowledge and passion for Aberdeen will be key in driving forward our bid to make the city centre a cleaner, safer and more attractive place to live, work and invest.”

The BiD intends to devote £1.9million to marketing and promoting the city, £750,000 in safety and security, £450,000 in initiatives to encourage use of and improve transport and getting about in the city centre, £450,000 on making the city more attractive and £120,000 on collaborative initiatives to attract new investment and city centre economic development.

These themes have been identified in consultation with the businesses in the BiD footprint to address specific concerns and issues.

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