If you want to get the local economy out of a hole, it's time to call for Bids

Published on Wednesday 20 January 2010 20:14

FOOTBALLERS who play "in the hole" between midfield and strikers have to be quick-thinking and agile. They support build-up play when necessary and need to be there to take the lay-off from the frontman to score.

In tough times, flexible organisations are needed to fill a similar hole – between private and public sectors. The saga of the Scottish Futures Trust has left a void – and more than ever, innovative ways must be found to get the two sectors working together productively.

Scotland's eight Business Improvement Districts (Bids) find themselves operating in this hole. Bids are funded by private businesses within their area and as such, lobby public bodies to deliver benefits for their levy-payers. Yet Bids must also have good working relationships with the public sector, especially local authorities, as much of what they seek to achieve couldn't be done without council support.

"We have to poke and prod (City of] Edinburgh Council on behalf of levy-payers – but we also have to build a positive, constructive working relationship," said Tom Campbell, chief executive of Essential Edinburgh, the largest of Scotland's eight Bids.

Jane Wood, chair of Essential Edinburgh, added: "The key word is interdependent. We have to work with the public authorities to be effective. We are strong in our own right, but if we work effectively with the public sector, together we are better and stronger."

The buzzwords for Bids are "safe and secure" and "clean and attractive" as they seek to enhance their areas for the benefit of levy-payers and the wider public. Another is "additionality", as Tom Campbell explained: "Everything we do in the bid has to be on top of what the council has to provide – the statutory stuff like fixing broken pavements and cleaning the streets."

One bizarre by-product of the relationship, Mr Campbell explains, is that the council often draws "reputational benefit" from the work of Essential Edinburgh. "Much of what we do is perceived as being done by the council," he said. "The popular view is the council should provide everything and some additional things we do clearly benefit the council in the public eye."

He highlighted the Clean Team as an example of where the relationship has been really effective. The small group, clad in green uniforms, is tasked with shifting rubbish from private land accessible to the public, removing chewing gum, cigarette butts and graffiti and tackling illegal fly-posting.

"The Clean Team's work is very measurable in terms of the quality of the environment, they are very visible and identifiable as Essential Edinburgh staff – and they provide something additional," he said. "For example, if bin bags are lying in doorways between council collection days, they will remove them."

Jane Wood believes the Essentials team puts a human face on the city centre. As well as the Clean Team, there are the "Ambassadorial Essentials" who help visitors find their way around and report anti-social, criminal or suspicious behaviour. They are first-aid trained and wear distinctive purple uniforms.

Campbell highlighted another partnership project: the empty shop fronts on St Andrew Square and South St David's Street, now covered with huge, swirling quotes from literary figures about Edinburgh. "We are putting an empty building to use, making it look 100 times better – and celebrating the city's literary history at the same time. The project cost 23,000 but levy-payers only put in 6,000 – we got the extra funding from the owners of the buildings, the council and the Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance."

This is an example of what Jane Wood calls "leverage". She said: "We give leverage to public-sector funding by getting private-sector involvement – and that is critical. In challenging times, we can get into that area between the public and private sector and lever out more money from partnership working.

"It is also about integrity, which is an important word in these times when there has been such a loss of trust in financial institutions.

"We are trying to rebuild trust through partnership working."

Yet there are tricky areas to manage – such as the thorny issue of city-centre parking – and the relationship with the council does not always go smoothly, as Wood accepts. "All local authorities have regulations that are not business-friendly," she said. "A good example is al fresco dining and what the council charges for putting tables and chairs in public spaces. Glasgow charges a fraction of what Edinburgh does, and our bars and restaurants suffer as a result. This is where we need to lobby the council and say 'Is this really helping the city?'"

One of the other difficult issues is planning: "The regulations, the time things take and the consultation process are all major issues for our levy-payers," she said.

"We meet with senior planners as we want to act as a conduit between levy-payers and the council to broker a better relationship between the two sides."

The language spoken by Essential Edinburgh – brokering relationships, leveraging out extra funding, providing additionality – resonates with ministers like Jim Mather at enterprise and John Swinney at finance and their pursuit of innovative working partnerships.

Mr Swinney said of Bids: "They can bring together the key players in transforming Scotland's high streets and make a real difference to communities. We trust local initiatives to take the lead – and local business people and local government to collaborate – and we will provide support wherever we think we can add value."

Tom Buchanan, convener of the city council's economic development committee, added: "The council's plans for Edinburgh city centre will only be realised if we work in close partnership with organisations across both the public and private sectors. Essential Edinburgh has a key role to play in this: bringing the business community together with the Council, Lothian and Borders Police and other city centre stakeholders to provide a range of additional, value-added services."

Jane Wood is convinced Bids can help to answer perhaps the biggest question in Scotland just now – after the economic maelstrom, exactly where is the next wave of jobs and investment coming from?

"The sort of partnerships we are forging are those that will create a more competitive Scotland," she insisted. "We need innovation about how we cross the public and private sectors – because getting them working together more effectively is the only way that we will get inward investment."

The genesis of Bids came long before the economic crisis hit – but it is an idea that has found its time.