By Kevin Ward, manager, Newport Now Business Improvement District

Newport Now will launch its new five-year business plan at an open meeting for BID levy payers next month.

The BID team has spent the summer consulting its levy payers via one-to-one meetings and an online survey as part of its renewal campaign.

All BIDs are established following a ballot of eligible businesses and have a maximum lifespan of five years.

Newport Now is in its fifth year and levy payers will vote via ballot in November to decide whether to renew the BID for a further five years from next April.

The new business plan, which will cover the period from April 2020 to March 2025, will reflect the views and opinions gathered from Levy payers over the summer.

More than 300 businesses have been contacted during that period and more have taken part in the BID’s online survey, which closed on August 31.

The priorities identified by levy payers during the consultation period will form the basis of the new five-year business plan that businesses will vote on in November.

The plan will be launched at an open meeting for levy payers at the Riverfront Theatre on the evening of Thursday, October 3.

Levy payers will be receiving invitations to the event during the next couple of weeks.

The event will start at 5pm with a short networking period during which wine and canapes will be served, and copies of the business plan will be distributed.

From 5.30pm, there will be presentations in the Studio Theatre from the police and the city council followed by the official launch of the BID’s business plan and a question and answer session.

More details of the schedule for the open meeting will be available later in the month.