Addy takes senior BID role

Bill Addy, former director of developers Iliad and David McLean, has been named chief executive of Liverpool BID Company to help develop the role of Business Improvement Districts in the city.

A statement announcing the appointment said Addy's remit would be to "develop strategic links with major stakeholders in the city and plug the BID company into wider regeneration issues such as Liverpool Waters and the City Centre Strategic Investment Framework as well as events such as the International Festival for Business in 2014."

Addy role is part-time; he is employed for six days' work each month on a pro-rata salary equivalent to £70,000 a year.

Liverpool currently has two BIDs: City Central, which covers the retail core of the city centre, and the Commercial District, which covers Castle Street, Water Street and Old Hall Street.
One of Addy's tasks will be to explore the possibility of Liverpool applying to government to introduce further BIDs in the city, though details of where and when were not disclosed. He will continue with his development advisory business the Addy Consultancy.

A spokesman for the Liverpool BID Company said: "The executive board of Liverpool BID Company is keen to explore how BIDs can be created which will be complementary to the existing two – City Central and Commercial. Bill's role as chief executive is to support that process as well as providing additional leadership to the existing companies."

Ged Gibbons, chief operating officer of the City Central BID, remains in his role and reports to the Liverpool BID Company. The position of chief operating officer at the Commercial BID is currently being advertised , on a salary of between £40,000 and £50,000. This would effectively be a replacement for chief executive Paul Rice who died in January 2012. Gibbons has been interim boss of the Commercial BID since.

The two BIDs represent more than 1,500 businesses employing more than 80,000 people in Liverpool and cover 100 acres of the city centre. The BIDs are funded by a levy on businesses, equivalent to 1% of rateable value, to pay for improvements such as street cleaning, marketing and events.

Ed Oliver, executive chairman of Liverpool BID Company, said: ''BIDs have already made a huge impact in Liverpool and there is great potential to expand their role and make a telling difference to the city's future development.

"Bill recognises the opportunities BIDs represent and I'm thrilled he is joining us. He has a very impressive track record in delivering major projects in and around Liverpool.

"This is a key appointment and Bill will be a fantastic asset. I look forward to working with him over what will be an exciting six months ahead of us, leading up to ballot for City Central and setting out the strategic vision for BIDs for the next 10-15 years.''

Addy said: "It's a tremendous opportunity for me to give something back to the city that I so enjoyed working in for many years. I benefited greatly career wise from working in Liverpool and it's great to be back involved in the heart of things.''

A chartered builder by profession, Addy worked on various developments in Liverpool including Princes Dock and Liverpool Community College Arts Centre. He added: "I want to ensure the success the BIDs have enjoyed over the past few years is built upon and together with our key partners, such as at Local Enterprise Partnership and Liverpool Vision, that we harness the potential of the city's private sector to continue to drive Liverpool's economy forward."