28 Nov 2025
Businesses across Glasgow city centre have voted in favour of establishing the Let’s Go Glasgow Business Improvement District (BID), securing a mandate for a five-year programme of continuous improvements designed to enhance the cleanliness, safety and vibrancy of the city centre.
The Let’s Go Glasgow BID was approved by a clear majority of eligible businesses by both number of businesses, with 87% votes in favour, and rateable value, with 91% votes in favour. This followed a six-week ballot involving more than 600 premises. The positive result will see the BID come into operation in April 2026, enabling approximately £14.5 million of business-led investment over its first five year term.
Developed by a cross-sector Steering Group and shaped by extensive engagement with city centre employers, the BID will deliver a suite of additional services that go beyond those provided by Glasgow City Council and other public bodies. These will include targeted cleaning and graffiti removal, enhanced street-level safety activity, co-ordinated marketing and event activity, and robust communication and engagement with city centre levy payers. The BID will work in close partnership with city stakeholders to ensure alignment while providing supplementary capacity dedicated to business priorities.
Kyron Keogh, Chair of the Let’s Go Glasgow Steering Group and Managing Director of ROX, said:
“The approval of the BID represents a significant milestone for Glasgow city centre. Businesses have clearly expressed their desire for a structured, long-term mechanism to deliver continuous improvements that go above and beyond the work of the public sector. The BID provides the means to accelerate change and ensure the city centre becomes cleaner, safer and more attractive for all who use it.”
Brian Fulton, Vice Chair of the Steering Group and former Chair of the Sauchiehall Street BID, said:
“This is a very welcome result for the business community. BIDs in our competitor cities such as Manchester and Newcastle are proven to deliver tangible benefits by bringing focus, additional resource and collective leadership to local improvement efforts. The strength of support in this ballot demonstrates that businesses recognise the value of working together to address shared challenges and opportunities.”
City leaders and partners have welcomed the outcome, noting that the BID will support and enhance ongoing efforts to strengthen the city centre’s recovery.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:
"This is an exciting opportunity for Glasgow city centre, which is set to become Scotland's largest Business Improvement District (BID). As Scotland's biggest city, Glasgow is a vital part of our country’s economy, generating around £30 billion every year.
"BIDs bring businesses and public bodies together to improve their communities and local economies. They are key to our efforts to put thriving town centres at the heart of a fair, green and growing economy. That's why we supported the development of Let's Go Glasgow with £50,000.”
Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for City Centre Recovery at Glasgow City Council, said:
“Until now, Glasgow has been one of very few UK cities without a city centre BID. Being an outlier for so long has meant we’ve lost out on a key vehicle for city centre regeneration and promotion that our comparators have been able to benefit from. This positive result will rectify that, bringing additional commitment, energy and resource to our continuing work to enhance Glasgow city centre and I congratulate everyone involved in the campaign for their efforts.”
Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said:
“We warmly welcome the establishment of the BID. This is a strong signal of confidence from our business community and an important step toward a more vibrant city centre. Initiatives of this kind helps future-proof Glasgow, creating the conditions for growth, attracting new visitors and businesses and ensuring the city remains an appealing and dynamic place to live, work and invest in. We look forward to working proactively with the BID team to help deliver a city centre that matches the ambition and potential of our members.”
Following the positive ballot result, a dedicated company will be established to govern the Let’s Go Glasgow BID which goes live in April 2026, with a Board of Directors drawn from levy-paying businesses. The necessary resources will be deployed to implement the projects and initiatives set out in the approved Business Plan to ensure delivery of the BID’s five-year programme of continuous improvements in line with the priorities identified by the city centre business community.
