Companies on industrial estate say they will derive no benefit from scheme

Companies on the South Acton Industrial Estate are opposing plans for an Acton Business Improvement District (BID) which they say will provide them with no real benefits and load them with unwelcome extra costs.

The BID would require businesses in the area to pay a levy on top of business rates which would go to funding improvement projects in the area.

There are currently BIDs operating in Ealing Town Centre and West Ealing and the council is hoping to get the backing of the majority of traders in Acton to create a new one here.

However, many businesses on the South Acton Industrial Estate are unhappy with the proposals. They say they are different entities from the high street shops and don't have the same issues to deal with. They fear they are being lumped in to an Acton-wide bid for financial reasons. Most BIDs in other areas are confined to the main retail areas in town centres with much of the money raised being spent on street scene improvements and promoting the area as a shopping destination.

A postal ballot is now underway and results will be known on Friday (6 July). If 50% of the eligible businesses vote yes, the BID could start operating by October.

Chris Grainger from The Stone and Ceramic Warehouse on Stirling Road, is voting against the proposals and believes the majority of firms in the South Acton Industrial Estate will do the same.

He says, 'The other local BID Schemes, Positive Putney, HammersmithLondon, MakeitEaling are all high street Retail based and concentrate on improving the retail environment on the High streets and Broadways. None of these Bids include industrial estates, such as the South Acton Industrial estate and all of them are predominately financed by the largest stores on those streets eg Primark, Tescos, Sainsbury's, M&S to name a few. On Acton High Street there is only one large store/ potential contributor, Morrisons and a cynic would suggest that our Industrial estate has only been include within the Acton High Street BID to finance it and make it viable.'

He continues, 'All residents of the estate are still coming to terms with the massive increase in this year’s business rates and if we vote through the bid it will add further to these costs for 5 years minimum. All at a time when the economy and business confidence is at a massive low, with the uncertain prospect of Brexit on the horizon. I alone would be obliged to contribute  over £10,000 to this scheme.'

Mr Grainger says he would be happy to help set-up a voluntary business community scheme for the estate, one that would be cost free and targetted specifically on issues and concerns of traders on the industrial estate.

We have asked for comment from Ealing Council.

3 July 2018