New Chairman for Skipton BID

Skipton Business Improvement District (BID) welcomes Neil Roe as the new Chair, after Andrew Mear stepped down earlier in the year after 16 years supporting Skipton BID.

Neil's wife Michelle has owned and operated Skipton’s Herriots Hotel for 35 years and Neil is a hospitality and Bradford MBA graduate who successfully built one of UK’s largest Pub Companies. He is also a volunteer for the Kings Trust and Chair of Governors for a local school. 

Anita Lall was voted in as the new Vice Chair. Anita is the Principle and Chief Executive of Craven College and has been a Board member since May 2023.

James Cunningham the Manager of the Skipton Hotel, formerly Rendezvous, was also voted on to the Board as a Director. The new Directors were voted in by the existing Board of Directors at the Board meeting which took place on Wednesday 17th July.

The Board is now made up of 10 Directors and represents the varying business sectors Skipton BID support. Skipton BID after a successful ballot result last November started their 4th term in April 2024 and will run until March 2029 and plays an important role in supporting the local economy. The new Directors will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Board and generate new innovative ideas to allow the BID to fulfil their objectives for supporting the town.

After the successful ballot Skipton BID applied to The BID Foundation for industry standard accreditation.

The BID Foundation, a group of over 70 Business Improvement Districts, has developed the Industry Standards for all BID’s, with input from the UK Government and other national bodies.

The Standards highlight information and documentation that should be made publicly accessible and easily identifiable by every BID, and are independently accredited by the Institute of Place Management.

Skipton BID has passed the Industry Standards accreditation by demonstrating the high standards  of aspects including its business plan, governance mechanisms and reporting, Directors and personal interests and details on ballot results.

Sarah Howsen, Skipton BID Manager said “We are delighted Skipton BID has been awarded this accreditation.  The BID team and Board members continually work towards being transparent and open in all that they deliver.  The award coincides with the appointment of a new Chair of the Board, Neil Roe who is committed to ensuring the BID delivers all activities to a high standards.”

Introducing industry standards for BIDs was a recommendation of research into the BID sector and its development in the UK, published in 2020 by the Institute for Place Management.

Matthew Davis, Director at the Institute of Place Management and The BID Foundation, said:

“This is a crucial piece of work to support BIDs. The Industry Standards further demonstrate the professionalism of BIDs that adopt them, and of the wider sector, which has stepped forward through the pandemic and now during recovery to provide support to thousands of local businesses.”

The Industry Standards are awarded following a review process conducted by The BID Foundation, which is delivered with the support of the Institute of Place Management, the professional body for place managers and leaders, based at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The BID Foundation members have begun adoption of the standards, which award a kite mark to display to levy payers and other stakeholders.