After securing support from town centre businesses to run for five more years, Weston-super-Mare Business Improvement District (BID) is looking forward to 2017 and striving to make the town ‘one of the safest and cleanest destinations in the South West’.

The BID is a collaborative initiative where businesses pay into a central kitty to fund promotional campaigns and bolster street safety measures.

After months of campaigning, the BID announced in December it had been handed a fresh five-year mandate by business owners.

The scheme will generate £1.25million of investment in Weston town centre over its five-year term.

The BID is increasing the number of street wardens to tackle crime in the town centre, and the wardens will be handed powers to crack down on antisocial behaviour.

The partnership is also committed to retaining Weston’s purple flag status, which is awarded to safe and clean night-time economies and is viewed as gold standard in the tourism industry.

The award-winning town centre floral displays will also be enhanced.

BID chairman Paul Batts is excited for the future.

He said: “This is a great result, not only for the team but for the whole town. We can now continue the work we have undertaken as well as implement our new five-year business plan.

“The BID team is delighted to have the support of the town following the work we’ve delivered since 2012.

“The town is already improving and we look forward to building on the momentum of what we have started, and to contributing to the significant growth of the town’s economy.”

Town centre manager Steve Townsend added: “The BID delivers added value that is vital to us in a seaside resort, marketing the town centre and creating a great sense of wellbeing through various initiatives.

“Weston BID helps to promote and underline that Weston is a thriving, vibrant and safe place to study, live, and work.”