2019-20 ANNUAL REPORT NORTHALLERTON BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
CONTENTS Welcome Raising our Profile Treadmills Dawn of a Revolution What a Flippin’ Fantastic Day Classic Cars and Forties Frolics Supporting our Businesses Safety and Security Financial
Welcome to the 2019-20 Annual Report for Northallerton Business Improvement District. This is the third annual report since the BID was established in May 2017 and is a statutory requirement for its members.
WELCOME This year’s AGM is being staged in very different circumstances from normal. Like every other town and city, Northallerton is facing up to the challenges of a pandemic that is having worldwide economic consequences. More than ever, our businesses need help and support to continue trading and retain staff - and the BID has been determined to lead the way. The national lockdown came into force towards the end of the 2019-20 financial year and has affected everyone’s planning in many ways. We are grateful that we were able to stage several very successful events such as Classic Car Sunday, Home Front Sunday and Dog Week. We were also a leading player in the organisation of the September 2019 UCI Road World Cycling Championships, which were watched by 250 million TV viewers around the world.
These events brought thousands of extra visitors to the town in support of our mission to promote Northallerton as the perfect place to visit, shop and do business. We know our businesses expect us to take the lead on major issues such as parking. That is why we forwarded a petition to North Yorkshire County Council in February 2019 requesting an extension of free parking on the High Street. The BID has high hopes that this campaign will be successful. We can never be complacent but I am deeply encouraged by the strong spirit of solidarity shown by our local business community to get through our current challenges and look forward to recovery. May I thank all our members and directors for their support.
LINDSAY JUDD CHAIR, NORTHALLERTON BID COMPANY
We’re proud to represent Northallerton - and passionate about singing the praises of North Yorkshire’s county town.
RAISING OUR PROFILE That’s why we this year have been determined to give it the platform it deserves. During the 2019-20 financial year, we started planning for a new Love Northallerton website. This will give our marketing operations a modern new look and is due to launch in 2020.
We helped to promote global exposure for Northallerton when it hosted the UCI Road World Cycling Championships in September 2019, with the BID organising a popular community zone featuring local school bands, a trick cyclist and an Abba tribute act.
We also set about expanding our social media platforms to spread the good news about Northallerton, its businesses and all the town has to offer.
Our Little Books of Treats continued to prove popular with businesses. Thousands were sent to outlying towns such as Yarm and Thirsk, encouraging people to shop and save in Northallerton.
The BID team helped local businesses promote their goods and services at the 2019 Great Yorkshire Show and several of our guests enjoyed having their picture taken with Julian Norton, the Yorkshire Vet.
WE MADE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Christmas is crucial for retailers – and we didn’t hold back with our festive promotions in 2019. A special touch was our real Christmas tree, funded by the BID, standing tall and proud on the town square. We also launched our biggest-ever radio advertising campaign on three commercial stations, as well as organising a very popular Elf Trail for children and an advent calendar promotion for shops.
TREADMILLS DAWN OF A REVOLUTION Work continued on the first phase of the ÂŁ17m Treadmills development, the most exciting new development in Northallerton for decades, during our 2019-20 financial year. Built on the site of the former Northallerton prison, the Treadmills will offer shopping, entertainment and a new technology hub in one development. The BID is committed to supporting these enhanced retail and night-time economy opportunities. Lidl and Iceland are due to open in November 2020, with a luxury cinema and the exciting C4Di hub scheduled to follow in 2021.
C4Di is also poised to feature an e-Campus, offering higher education in Northallerton for the first time. A range of courses will be geared to local requirements and Hambleton District Council is talking to education partners who are keen to be involved. Extensive work started in Zetland Street in early 2020 to enhance this route as the gateway to the Treadmills from the High Street. The street is being extensively remodelled for environmental improvements and to boost footfall. The BID looks forward to celebrating the street’s reopening.
There were thrills, spills and amazing costumes in Northallerton’s flipping fantastic pancake races.
WHAT A FLIPPIN’ FANTASTIC DAY
CLASSIC CARS AND FORTIES FROLICS Our 2019 events included the ever-popular Classic Car Sunday and Home Front Forties weekend, each attracting crowds of around 6,000 people to the town-centre.
We organised the town’s popular annual Pancake Race on Shrove Tuesday, with more teams than ever. Cheering crowds flocked to the Applegarth to encourage a mixture of business teams as they dashed to the finish line desperately trying to flip their pancakes at the same time. Not everyone succeeded - but it was all in a good cause, with the event raising money for North Yorkshire Youth Space, which does so much great work for the young people of Northallerton. Northallerton-born Great Britain international shot-putter Scott Lincoln started both the junior races, involving nearby Applegarth School, and the senior event, which was boosted by entries from BBC Radio York and Northallerton Mowbray Rotary Club. The event was organised by the BID with support from Colin Hutson Accounting, Lewis & Cooper, Coles Solicitors, North Yorkshire Police and Northallerton Town Council. Thanks to everyone who made the day such a great success.
We also played a major role in hosting arrangements for the UCI Road World Cycling Championships and supported a very successful Dog Week packed with eye-catching promotions.
At the start of the national lockdown in March 2020, the BID pledged to ensure that businesses were provided with advice and information on how to access Government grants and loan schemes.
SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESSES The new restrictions came into force just days before our inaugural Love Northallerton Business Awards evening and led to their postponement. These awards are a celebration of our High Street heroes and all the hardworking business people who make Northallerton so special. The number and quality of nominations exceeded all our expectations and we had 57 applications from businesses in 11 award categories. We are hopeful of rearranging the Business Awards for later in 2020.
The BID also launched Refill in Northallerton – an awardwinning scheme to reduce plastic that encourages people to refill their water bottles at approved shops and offices. This is a national project supported by the water supply authorities that saves thousands of tonnes of plastic per year. We’re delighted to say there has already been a promising take-up of Refill by our businesses.
Our cardboard collections also proved very popular in the 2019-20 financial year and we must thank Northdale Horticulture for their help and support. This popular service is saving businesses thousands of pounds a year.
SAFETY AND SECURITY The BID is continuing to work with North Yorkshire Police and the Safer Hambleton Hub to reduce crime and improve security in Northallerton. We are developing the Disc app to help businesses self-manage low-level crime and anti-social behaviour, and we are also working towards a revival of the town’s Pubwatch scheme. The BID also supports Street Angels, whose marshals help to keep Northallerton town-centre safe on Saturday nights, and Youth Space, which provides a safe haven for children and young people in the Town Hall on Friday evenings.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION The directors present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2020. This report has been prepared in accordance with the micro-entity provisions of the Companies Act 2006 and in accordance with FRS 105 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable to the Micro-entities Regime. During the year to 31 March 2020, the BID working groups continued in four areas: Marketing, Safe and Secure, Environment/Place and Business Support and Events. Expenditure was used to promote Northallerton in its biggest-ever Christmas radio campaign, a new Northallerton Town Trail, major billboard promotions and a stand at the Great Yorkshire Show. Funds were also spent on several Little Books of Treats, social media, advertising and press promotions, the Love Northallerton website and photography. Events arranged or supported included Classic Car Sunday, 1940s’ Homefront Sunday, Dog Week, the UCI Road World Championships, support for the Homegrown Food Festival and extensive Christmas promotions, including festive lighting, a real Christmas tree and competitions. The BID funded a free cardboard recycling scheme for businesses and the Northallerton Design Guide for developers, planning, advice and consultation. Efforts to improve the appearance of the High Street included pavement gum removal. A DISC business security app was introduced and Shopwatch supported. Business support included free WiFi on the High Street and planning for the inaugural Northallerton Business Awards. Since March 2020, the BID has been working against the background of the global Covid-19 pandemic and all the challenges that has brought to businesses and the BID’s own operations. The BID has assisted several businesses to continue trading and guided many others in the best way to receive financial support. Funding was collected by Hambleton District Council and received quarterly in arrears. Hence the last quarter’s funding was received after the year end date and will be used to fund projects in 2020-21.
BALANCE SHEET
2020 £
Fixed assets Current assets
2019 £
1,042
941
94,768
63,925
Prepayments and accrued income Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
17,594 (16,453)
37,830 (16,945)
Net current assets
95,909
84,810
Total assets less current liabilities Accruals and deferred income
96,951 (5,073)
85,751 (918)
Capital and reserves
91,878
84,833
DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY The directors who held office during the year were as follows: Mr L P Judd, Mr C Barker, Mrs N L Burton, Mrs J A Hutson, Mr M Grover, Mrs J Fedyszyn, Mr D Pears (appointed 15 November 2019), Mrs G Manders (appointed 17 January 2020), Mr T Crow (appointed 10 March 2020), Ms E Millar (resigned 30 September 2019), Miss S G Crow (resigned 12 November 2019), Miss T Watson (resigned 13 January 2020), Mr D P Lucas (resigned 10 March 2020), Mr J Gardin (appointed 1 December 2019 and resigned 4 June 2020) SMALL COMPANIES PROVISION STATEMENT This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to companies subject to the small companies regime within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006. GENERAL INFORMATION The company is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales, and consequently does not have share capital. Each of the members is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the company in the event of liquidation. The address of its registered office is: Joe Cornish Galleries, Top Floor, Zetland Street, Northallerton,North Yorkshire DL6 1NA, England. BASIS OF PREPARATION The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with FRS 105 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable to the Micro-entities Regime’ STAFF NUMBERS The average number of persons employed by the company (including directors) during the year, was 11 (2019 - 11). These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the micro-entity provisions of the Companies Act 2006. For the financial year ending 31 March 2020 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES • The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476; and • The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT
2020 £
2019 £
Turnover 157,698 156,815 Other Income 2,717 4,872 Staff costs (44,298) (45,391) Depreciation and other amounts written off assets (316) (280 Other charges (108,755) (111,245) Surplus for the period 7,046 4,771
DETAILED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT Turnover Gross surplus Gross surplus %
2020 £
2019 £
157,698 157,698 100%
156,815 156,815 100%
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES Employment costs Establishment costs General administrative expenses Finance charges Depreciation costs Other operating income Operating surplus Surplus before tax
(44,298) (45,391) (3,567) (3,588) (105,120) (107,646) (68) (11) (316) (280) (153,369) (156,916) 2,717 4,872 7,046 4,771 7,046 4,771
TURNOVER Levies received Voluntary contributions and memberships
155,553 2,145 157,698
155,995 820 156,815
EMPLOYMENT COSTS Wages and salaries (excluding directors) Staff NIC (Employers) Staff pensions Staff training
(43,433) (43,141) (612) (1,567) (243) (683) (10) (44,298) (45,391)
ESTABLISHMENT COSTS Rent Insurance Repairs and maintenance
(2,400) (2,400) (1,054) (872) (113) (316) (3,567) (3,588)
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES Telephone and internet Printing, postage and stationery Trade subscriptions Travel and subsistence Advertising and general marketing Events and NTE group transactions Business support working group Gateway working group Marketing working group Refreshments and entertaining Parking subgroup working group Safe and secure working group Accountancy fees Legal and professional Software costs Bad debts
(673) (620) (364) (1,505) (1,297) (1,300) (432) (607) (44,645) (4,752) (34,185) (36,426) (2,402) (135) (11,162) (12,692) - (43,207) (1,351) (511) (420) (1,343) (6,983) (470) (450) (3,180) (373) (351) (2,845) 1,915 (105,120) (107,646)
FINANCE CHARGES Bank charges
(68)
(11)
(316)
(280)
DEPRECIATION COSTS Depreciation of fixtures and fittings OTHER OPERATING INCOME Other operating income - events Other operating income - working groups Other operating income - rents Operating surplus Surplus before tax
2,117 872 - 4,000 600 2,717 4,872 7,046 4,771 7,046 4,771
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