Award winning Industrial Estate BID in Northamptonshire

In 2009, Brackmills was a decaying industrial estate, one of the top UK targets for criminal gangs for theft to and from lorries, an area littered with cars, muddy verges and road hazards resulting in fatalities. In its first year the BID was successful in leveraging in additional funding to support its fight against crime installing CCTV and ANPR cameras on all access roads and lorry bays and contracting its own dedicated Police Community Support Officer.

pfbb UK worked with the estate employing a BID project manager, supporting it to achieve a second five year term in 2014 and a third five year term as a BID in 2019 with more than a 90% vote in favour by value and number.

By 2016 – thanks to the estate’s status as a BID – and its effective crime initiatives, theft from and of lorries had been eradicated and crime overall was down by 70% compared to 2008, with 42 crimes reported in the 12 month period.

Brackmills is one of only a handful of industrial estates in the UK to have Business Improvement District (BID) status. Before coming together to forge the BID companies were leaving the estate, properties were falling to pieces, it was hazardous and unkempt with blind junctions, double parking and fatalities on the road.

As well as its safety and security successes the BID has invested in road improvements, new bus services and major environmental and signage improvements. The estate is now award winning, attracting multi million pound investments from the likes of Dachser with their new integrated logistics hub and Stanley Black and Decker with a new logistics centre. It is home to 150 companies and 13,000 employees.

Significant Achievements

• Installation of ANPR cameras on all access roads and CCTV monitoring on all lorry bays
• In its first six months of BID operation theft from lorries was reduced by 84%
• Funded a dedicated PCSO who in their first six months completed over 1,000 hour of street patrols and visiting over 60% of all businesses on the estate.
• Completed a £370,000 highway improvement scheme, under budget and on time, across estate reducing congestion and easing flow of traffic across the estate.