MANOR ROYALIntroducing...

The Manor Royal Business Improvement District is one of 300 in the UK, and is the country’s largest industrial BID. Platinum sat down with the BID Executive Director, Steve Sawyer who helped in establishing the BID in 2013 and still runs it today, to find out more.

Maarten Hoffmann: Can you give us a brief overview of the BID?

Steve Sawyer: The Manor Royal BID is one of over 330 Business Improvement Districts operating in the UK and is the UK’s largest industrial BID. It’s no surprise given that Manor Royal is one of the UK’s largest business parks. Business Improvement Districts, or BIDs, are created, run and funded by businesses to support and improve the business areas they are set up to represent. The types of thing a BID does is dependent on what the businesses that fund and run it want to see delivered, which is set out in a fi ve-year Business Plan they vote for.

I helped to set up the Manor Royal BID in 2013 and have run it ever since, successfully taking the it through three ballots (votes). I also serve on the British BIDs National Advisory Board, the country’s main industry body for UK BIDs, I chair the Industrial BIDs Group and teach on the British BIDs Certifi cate in BID Management course. I guess you could say I know quite a bit about BIDs, but especially the Manor Royal BID.

MH: How do companies on the estate benefi t from the BID?

Steve: While not every company pays the BID Levy, because the smallest companies are exempt, every company on Manor Royal benefi ts. We provide a wide range of services, and deliver area-wide improvements to the area that everyone benefi ts from. From additional security, maintenance, area wide CCTV and ANPR, transport discounts, free jobs boards, free team building and volunteering, subsidised training, dedicated bespoke events, infrastructure improvements, careers fairs, our own magazine, website and property and business directories, and lots more besides. As long as you have a property or work for a company in the BID area, you can tap into what we do to improve the area. In fact, we encourage it.

MH: Is the Manor Royal full or do you have room for newcomers?

Steve: The demand for space for development and property is good. It’s a very changed place, since before the Manor Royal BID started, it was about

“Crawley College is proud to have worked in partnership with the Manor Royal BID for over eight years. We are now preparing phase 15 of our training programme. Courses have been chosen by Manor Royal Businesses for Manor Royal Businesses and have included Mental Health, First Aid, Leadership and Digital Training are focused on meeting the local skills needs.”

40% empty. But there is still space for newcomers. In fact, during the pandemic we saw developers take a strong interest in those buildings that did become available and they have been quick to act to bring forward new buildings. From large warehouses to smaller workshops and offices, if you are looking for property in a fantastically located and well supported business park next door to an international airport and the motorway network then Manor Royal should be on your list. We’re here to help if people are looking.

MH: How is the BID funded?

Steve: A business located in any BID area pays an annual BID Levy, usually calculated as a percentage of the rateable value of the property they occupy. That’s how all UK BIDs work. By agreement, businesses in Manor Royal pay a low levy rate compared to other BIDs nationally. We know that because we’ve looked at it and can prove it. However, the BID Levy itself is not enough to pay for everything the businesses want to see delivered in our Business Plan. Accordingly, we work very hard to attract additional funding from elsewhere – and it’s something we’re very good at. For every pound contributed by any business over the next five years, we have secured another pound from somewhere else to invest in the area, and everyone should be better off for that.

MH: Is the estate as large as it will get or is there an opportunity to expand?

Steve: At the moment Manor Royal is as large as it can get, which is pretty big. At over 540 acres (or more than 330 football pitches), Manor Royal provides over nine million square feet of commercial floorspace for over 700 businesses who provide employment for about 30,000 people. That’s a very significant and

MH: You have an exciting programme entitled Re-energise, can you tell us more about that?

“Elekta is proud to be a member of the Manor Royal Business District. We have a vibrant and green business district with Sustainability at the heart of everything it does. We look forward to continuing to be part of the Manor Royal Business community for many years to come.” important contribution to the economy. It’s not too bad considering it was originally built to accommodate about 8,000 workers in the 1950s. However, its future expansion is limited by the London-Brighton railway line, residential areas, and land safeguarded for a future additional runway to the north. I think there is an argument for reviewing the land protected for a second runway –which it has been for literally decades –to assess whether some of it might be released to allow Manor Royal and the local economy to grow, expand and diversify. There’s appetite for growth if the land could be made available.

Steve: ReEnergise Manor Royal is about becoming more sustainable and reducing our carbon footprint, initially by working collaboratively through our own, not-for-profi t Local Energy Company – owned by the businesses themselves – to generate our own energy from renewable sources, utilising the huge potential represented by millions of square feet of under-used roofs to install solar panels. The great thing about this is we will be able to provide free panels and installations, and manage them, while the businesses benefi t from cleaner, greener and cheaper energy. It’s not the only project we are excited about but it’s a pretty good one. We’ve got loads of other great stuff we are doing. I encourage people to check out our website if they want to fund out more – www.manorroyal.org www.manorroyal.org

The Manor Royal BID is an outstanding success and run by an Executive Director who has a clear focus and passion for the region, with Manor Royal greatly assisting Crawley grow in size; a substantial economic benefi t to the entire region.

Crawley has a Business Improvement District (BID) and, from a standing start, it has developed an exciting range of events and initiatives for the town to attract more people into the town centre. Wendy Bell is the BID Manager