Future of Kirkwall BID thrown into question

All but one of the board directors of the Kirkwall Business Improvement District (BID) have tendered their resignation, throwing the future of the initiative into question.

Councillor Bill Stout, a board member appointed by Orkney Islands Council, remains in position as a director and the situation is being discussed by the OIC.

Councillor Stout intends to follow the provisions in the BID constitution to restore a quorum to the board and then to consult the membership on options for the future. The option to go before the 300 businesses involved will include bringing BID to an end.

Launched in 2013, the BID’s aim was to give town centre businesses an opportunity to influence developments that would bring new life to the area as well as increasing footfall in the town and delivering a strong trading environment to support employment.