It’s been a particularly exciting year here on Brackmills. This summer we secured the YES vote which means we have retained our status as a thriving Business Improvement District (BID) for another 5 years.
This positive result followed months of planning, in-depth interviews, surveys and workshops and a month-long ballot in which businesses on the estate were asked to vote on the proposals.
Our estate, home to more than 180 businesses and 11,000 employees, has held BID status for 15 years, an initiative which has seen businesses pool an annual levy and use these funds exclusively for the benefit of the estate. Looking ahead, our focus will be on delivering a clear plan that has security, safety, infrastructure, the environment, our businesses and people at the very heart of all we do Here’s to another 5 years as a BID and here are some of our many other 2024 highlights …
Cleaning up our estate
A big shout out to everyone who took part in our summer litter picking – all part of the globally recognised World Clean Up Day. Organised in partnership with Wickes and Northants Litter Wombles, we saw more than 100 employees from across the estate join forces to find, collect and bag litter.
Using the BID’s litter picking equipment and supported by the BID team, a host of businesses took part, including Baxter Healthcare, CEVA Logistics, ACS Staffing Solutions, DSV, Barclays, Harting, igus UK, Bechtle, Wickes and Stanley Black & Decker. Check out our Facebook album of photos HERE.
Crime prevention, safety and security
Here on Brackmills we continue to work closely with Northamptonshire Police to maintain a safe and secure working environment. We invest in a host of CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, have our very own Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Paul Hurst (thank you Paul, you do a phenomenal job for us) and this year purchased a new portable camera which gives us extra eyes on the estate.
Crime has remained low, with just 46 incidents in 2023-2024. This compares to 135 in 2008, which is the year prior to the BID commencing on Brackmills.
Enterprising businesses
We are home to a diverse range of enterprising businesses – local, national and multinational – based here on Brackmills. This year we launched our new Business of the Month series, enabling us to shine a spotlight on a different business every month. We have already featured the likes of igus, British Pepper & Spice, Turbo Technics, Indica Automotive and ACS Staffing Solutions. Lots more to come in 2025 so keep an eye on our website. And, if you are based on Brackmills and would value some extra PR, get in touch.
Winter gritting
The the BID is committed to keeping this estate moving, even during frosty times. In 2023/2024 we funded 58 precautionary applications of gritting plus two adverse weather gritting actions. In January 2024 an additional 17 precautionary applications of gritting plus two adverse weather gritting actions were undertaken. All this is over and above council gritting.
Award winners
Once again, the BID was proud to sponsor the Northamptonshire Logistics Awards and this year a number of Brackmills businesses were shortlisted: Festo, ILG, Wickes, Harting, DSV, ACS, Dachser and Stanley Black and Decker. One of the big winners on the night was DSV, which opened its 380,000 ft2 warehousing facility on Brackmills towards the end of 2022. DSV won Big Logistics Company of the Year as well as Community Engagement Initiative of the Year (for its Thrapston based division). Congratulations DSV and all the other winners and finalists.
Meet our new Chair
Thank you to our new Chair Jon Morgan, CEO of vehicle repair and servicing company In ‘n’ Out Autocentres - based on Caswell Road, Brackmills. Jon was appointed our new voluntary chair at the start of the BID’s new five-year term in June.
Jon said: “Brackmills is far more than just a place to work and is always buzzing with life and people. It is well cared for and well maintained, and I am particularly proud of the green spaces and pocket parks. When In ‘n’ Out Autocentres first opened its Brackmills site in 2018 I was keen to find out more about the BID and promptly became a director. The BID team were looking for an office, so I donated office space which is still the BID team’s permanent home. I’m incredibly proud to be the BID’s new Chair and keen to get to know as many of our Brackmills businesses as possible."
Forums and events
We hold a host of forums and events. Some are for Brackmills businesses only, others are opened up to the wider county. These include:
- Health and Safety Forum, which enables companies to share information and best practice. Wellbeing, security and updates re Lithium-Ion batteries are just a few of the items on the most recent agenda.
- BID breakfasts – we have a calendar of networking and breakfast events; to bring businesses together so they can network and hear about specific topics from HR to infrastructure, future plans and more.
- Environment & Sustainability Forum, a new group packed with enthusiasm and lots of plans for 2025 focused on the estate and supporting companies in their environmental activity.
- Apprenticeship Forum, set up in 2024 so that companies with apprentices can network, hear updates and share best practice. We are currently formulating our plans for 2025’s National Apprenticeship Week.
- Security Group, for Brackmills businesses to discuss everything related to security.
Estate developments
The old Howdens site on Lilliput Road was cleared to make way for three new developments, known as the Brackmills Gateway. The largest of the three is DSV Logistics - now one of the biggest logistics sites on the estate. Active Ants, a Dutch company, occupy the second site and a third slightly smaller unit has been opened as ILG Logistics - their second working unit on the estate. The BID continues to work closely with property developers and landlords. We will be seeing some more changes this year with older sites being redeveloped and new bigger businesses moving in to take their place.
Coming up in 2025
It’s the final day of our #12DaysOfChristmas campaign and the perfect time to look to the future. This year we will be launching a brand-new website that will include new drone imagery, an interactive map of our estate, a resource hub, jobs page, business spotlight features and much, much more. A shout out to Zinc Digital and Pilkington Communications who are helping us to make this happen – we will keep you updated on the ‘go live’ date.
Thank you too to our wonderful board of directors who volunteer their time to steer our estate and oversee all BID activities. And to the BID team, led by our award-winning CEO Sara Homer and supported by our Chair Jon Morgan and Vice Chair Charlotte Patrick. We couldn’t do this without you.