Property names join BID board

Liverpool BID Company’s Commercial District BID has added a raft of names to its operating board, with representatives from Bruntwood and two local architects among the appointees.

Matthew Ashton, director of MgMa Studio and Brock Carmichael board member Phil Malthouse both join the board, while Sue Darwell, area property manager for Bruntwood, replaces the firm’s regional director Colin Forshaw on the board. Liverpool Vision director Ian McCarthy is also among the newcomers.

The other incoming board members are: Mark Blankstone, owner of Blankstone Opticians; Emma Carey, managing director of MSB Solicitors; Teleri Davies, head of events at Downtown in Business; Andrew Kingsley, director of Kingsley Recruitment; James Kirk, managing director of, Kaleidoscope; and Andy Webster, consultant at MHA Moore and Smalley.

They join the current board members led by chair Julie Johnson, partner at Morecrofts Solicitors, and newly appointed deputy chair Sean Keyes, managing director of Sutcliffe.

The Commercial District BID – business improvement district – incorporates the area in and around Castle Street, Old Hall Street and St Paul’s Square. It functions alongside the Retail & Leisure BID covering the more consumer-focused areas of the city centre.

Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, said: “Our new board members share in our vision and ambition to improve the city centre for all – making it a cleaner, safer and thriving environment which is attractive to investors, developers, established commercial businesses and which encourages the creation and growth of new businesses.

“We are doing some great work across the Commercial District BID – including the BID Street Rangers, which began earlier this year – and the vision that we set out in our 2016-2021 Commercial District BID business plan, including £3.5m worth of investment, is fast being rolled out.” The ranger programme came in response to demand for additional street cleaning and maintenance, the BID said.

Addy continued: “We will continue to build upon this throughout 2019, supporting our levy payers and helping safeguard the future growth of the district through our investment in the Commercial District SRF. Among its many ambitions, this masterplan aims to address the city’s lack of Grade A office space, to attract investment into the area and promote sustainable employment.”