News / Announcements
Welcome!
The Colwyn BID team work hard to make the Bay of Colwyn a better place to shop, stay, visit and do business. Our aim is to raise the profile of the area and drive the whole area forward by improving experiences, standards and adding value by working in collaboration with all sectors.
◇ Old Colwyn ◇ Mochdre ◇
◇ Rhos-on-Sea ◇ Colwyn Bay ◇
#WeAreBayOfColwyn
Colwyn Business Improvement District (BID) is a not for profit social enterprise organisation dedicated to making the area more vibrant and welcoming whilst ensuring the businesses have a greater influence over how their area is managed. We are raising the profile of the Bay of Colwyn which includes Mochdre, Rhos on Sea, Colwyn Bay and Old Colwyn.
Colwyn BID is a powerful tool funded by the eligible rate-paying businesses within the BID Boundary. We directly involve local businesses in activities and work in collaboration with local authorities to improve the local trading environment.
Together we are helping to make the Bay of Colwyn a cleaner, safer and more welcoming place and raising its profile through place marketing, promotion and regeneration specific projects which bring direct benefits to businesses and enhance the experience of business owners, employees, local community residents and visitors.
Colwyn BID serves as a catalyst for change and to bring investment in to the area.
News / Announcements
Colwyn BID Projects
‘Creating the Bay of Colwyn: the seaside centre, perfectly placed for business and leisure’
2019/20 is set to be the most exciting year to date for Colwyn BID as we prepare to launch new projects and continue striving to deliver the very best for the Bay of Colwyn.
Project completion status *
Beach Clean
Mochdre Christmas Tree and Festive Activities
12 Nights of Christmas
Refill Colwyn
Chewing Gum Removal
Business Savings Advisory Service
Summer promotion, Hydration, Water & Sun Safety Campaign
Old Colwyn "Mini Regen"
Wales Rally GB Stage
Integrated and Animated Spaces Support 2018 - 2020
Mochdre Railings and Planters
Social Media & PR Training
Cars and Coffees Go Large on the Caley
Street Cleaning
Business Communication and Engagement Initiative 2019/20
Rhos on Sea Shop Front Planters & Benches
Branding to promote the collective identity of the Bay of Colwyn
Go North Wales Membership Discount
Mochdre Bus Stops
Rhos Heritage Trail
Festoon Lighting Rhos on Sea
Mochdre Signage
Colwyn in Bloom
Heart Radio Marketing Campaign & Area Specific Events
Street Furniture 2018/19
National Lottery Heritage Fund, Great Place scheme - Match Funding
Loyalty Scheme
CPR & Defibrillator Sessions
Public Access Defibrillators
BID Buddies (12 months pilot scheme)
Arriva Bus Discounts
Suggested projects which were fully researched and considered by the Colwyn BID Team but unfortunately were not undertaken as they either did not meet the relevant criteria of the current business plan or were not approved by the Strategic Board.
Rhos on Sea Lettering - Caley Embankment
Bay of Colwyn Gift Card
Mochdre Skips
Recycling Bins
Mochdre Parking Proposal
Promenade Land Train
Information / updates on Projects
Saturday 21st September 2019 10.30am-12.30pm
Beachwatch @ Colwyn Bay
45 enthusiastic volunteers of all ages came along to pick up litter from a 100metre stretch from Porth Eirias and recorded it for Beachwatch plus lots more was collected up to the old pier and beyond! Most were small bits but quite a lot was heavy rubble.
Full details of the survey to follow after being submitted to the Marine Conservation Society. Well done North Wales Wildlife Trust and supporters!
In association with Mochdre Community Council, a 20 foot Christmas tree will be installed, the first of it’s kind in Mochdre.
It is hoped that there can be a ceremonial switch on of the lights adding to the festive cheer.
A collaboration between our team and the Licensing Department at CCBC is underway to enhance the after dark trade in the Bay of Colwyn.
Pub/Bar/Restaurant owners who would like to host entertainment during the run up to Christmas 2019 please contact the Colwyn BID office
We are working with Refill Cymru and have joined the #RefillRevolution
Find RefillColwyn on Facebook & Twitter
Email : refillcolwyn@colwynbid.co.uk for information on how to support the scheme either as a business owner, group leader, event organiser or a volunteer.
Following concerns raised regarding unsightly chewing gum around the Rhos on Sea Businesses, quotes have been received for a specialist chewing gum removal team to tackle the issue.
Approval has been sought for the work to be undertaken.
[ON HOLD] Awaiting approval from the Chair of the Strategic Board for the team to present the project to the Board.
At a previous Mochdre business forum meeting, businesses proposed a new project to the BID team which would benefit the levy paying businesses with substantial savings that far outweigh their BID Levy payment.
We are currently in discussions with Meercat Associates who are BID Industry Specialists and work with BIDs such as Aberystwydd, Bridgend, Leicester and many others throughout the UK.
Through this scheme businesses can take advantage of group buying powers, saving money on a wide range of services including, telecoms, recycling, waste, water, energy, merchant fees and much more. The provision of this service would be free to all levy payers, this proposal will be presented at the next strategic board meeting for their consideration.
[ON HOLD] Awaiting approval from the Chair of the Strategic Board for the team to present the project to the Board.
2,800 Primary School Children in the Bay of Colwyn have received a Water Bottle along with a Summer Safety and Activity leaflet presented inside a Reusable Tote/Bag branded with #WeAreBayOfColwyn.
Business are invited to adopt the branding and start using the hashtag in their social media posts.
This is a new project for 2019/20.
The premises in Old Colwyn to benefit from a shop front ‘face lift’ this year have been identified.
The presentation of the project proposal was very well received at the OCRA meeting on the 10th of July.
Hosting this event brings opportunity for your business to benefit from the interest and exposure generated.
Get involved with the promotion, become part of the supply chain, present your high quality Welsh goods and professional services to event owners, competitors, visitors and spectators via Social Media.
Be sure to follow the Colwyn BID Twitter @ColwynBID and Facebook accounts and share all of the exciting developments in the upcoming months.
Add #WeAreBayOfColwyn #WRGB #WRC to your social media posts for maximum exposure!
This is a partnership project led by the local authority financially supported by the Bay of Colwyn Town Council and Colwyn BID with grant funding from the Welsh Government.
The project is part of the regeneration of Colwyn Bay which includes traffic management through the town centre, opening Station Road to dual access for vehicles and pedestrians and also creating activity spaces.
Colwyn BID has supported the project during the initial planning stage. The report for the first phase is currently being drafted by the CCBC Highways Department.
With the kind support of the Mochdre Community Council we have been able to proceed with the proposed painting of the railings in the village.
The repair and re-painting of the railings has now been completed.
Introduction to Social Media and Public Relations for Business. Full details and dates of the courses can be found here
Colwyn BID provided support for the hugely popular Cars and Coffees Go Large Event in Rhos on Sea – Feedback from visitors and the local business has been exceptionally positive.
Congratulations to Rhos on Sea Events and all of the Volunteers on the success of the event – A great time was had by all!
We are currently in the process of sourcing quotes for a deep clean of the town centres within the Bay of Colwyn.
[ON HOLD] Awaiting approval from the Chair of the Strategic Board for the team to present the project to the Board.
Plans to address the communication and engagement challenges between the Colwyn BID team and the Levy paying businesses began to take shape in December 2018.
The role of the Project Officer (which has been covered by part-time or temporary staff since May 2018 when the previous PO became the new BID Manager) was re-evaluated by the BID Manager and taken to the Strategic Board for approval as digital communication skills were identified as an integral part of what was missing in order for the BID to successfully deliver a high standard of communication to the members along with support within the BID team.
Following the approval from the Strategic Board in April, a new role was created and advertised with an essential requirement of digital marketing experience in addition to office administration. Our new Marketing and Administration Officer was identified as a suitable candidate and joined the team on a full time basis on the 10th of June and is currently being brought up to speed on all BID projects past, present and future.
The recruitment of two Colwyn BID Ambassadors as well as creating more events/opportunities for businesses to engage with the team are also part of this initiative. Read more
The website is being updated accordingly and will become the primary source of information moving forward.
Details of the events where you can engage with the BID team are listed here
There has been a very positive response from 15 business owners in Rhos on Sea who have recommended areas outside their premises for planters and we have 3 potential new sites for benches.
We will be liaising with the Highways Department to finalise and approve the locations.
[updated 23/07/2019]
Details of how you can get involved with the #WeAre campaign and other opportunities for your business to be promoted can be found here
Businesses are invited to take advantage of the promotion by adopting the hashtag #WeAreTheBayOfColwyn in their social media posts.
Colwyn BID levy paying tourism businesses are eligible for up to 20% off membership with North Wales Tourism.
Colwyn BID recently replaced two existing bus stops in the Mochdre village due to them being damaged
This project has now concluded – Colwyn BID will re-open the project should a dialog begin with the owner of the larger bus stop. The bus stop on the centre island is privately owned and we have contacted the owners, a request has been put in to have it repainted by the owners.
The refurbishment of the Rhos Heritage Trail has been completed. The columns have been treated and re-painted and new information boards have been installed.
As part of the continued regeneration of the promenade, Colwyn BID have partnered with CCBC for the next phase of the project to install festoon lighting along the Rhos on Sea promenade area.
The current lighting columns along the promenade will be replaced as part of this project we are currently waiting on a proposed implementation date from CCBC
Grant funding has been awarded and the Consultancy Section of CCBC are finalising the designs to be put to tender.
This project is now in the hands of other agencies and whilst we will continue to share updates, our involvement in getting the Festoon Lighting installed has now concluded.
Following a recent meeting with CCBC Planning the Mochdre signage application will now be resubmitted by our consultants. As this application will need to be determined by the Planning Committee, the provisional date given for a final decision by CCBC Planning is 14.08.19.
The Mochdre signage application was previously refused at Planning Committee due to concerns raised by the CCBC Highways department.
[Update 12/08/2019] The application is not on the Planning Committee Agenda for 14.08.19 – We are awaiting a response from the relevant agencies to ascertain a reason and a new date that it will be put to them.
[Update 29/08/2019] Talks are ongoing with the Signage Consultant to establish a timeline.
Representation for the Bay of Colwyn during the planning and financial support is provided each year to boost the project in order for Colwyn in Bloom to have a more substantial impact on the appearance of the BID area.
In 2018 Colwyn BID partnered with Heart Radio to deliver a 12 month on air marketing campaign and four activity days with the aim of increasing the profile of the Bay of Colwyn and the four individual business communities within the BID boundary.
As part of the promotion we have had 12 months continuous air time with area specific marketing and promotion. The adverts were created to advertise the unique qualities of the community and services available to target the local market and expand in to new markets.
Lois and Oli of Heart breakfast radio joined us at events in the BID area; Colwyn Bay Market, Rhos on Sea Summer Gala, Old Colwyn Christmas Markets and Mochdre Easter Fete.
All of the events were well attended, feedback from visitors, businesses and local community residents has been extremely positive.
Colwyn BID have purchased a number eco friendly, low maintenance benches which have been installed around the Rhos on Sea village to replace damaged and weathered wooden benches.
The new benches in the Princess Diana Gardens in Rhos on Sea were purchased by Colwyn BID.
A joint venture between the Colwyn BID, Bay of Colwyn Town Council and Conwy County Borough Council to secure a National Lottery Heritage Fund, Great Place scheme grant.
The Imagine Colwyn Bay Project is an exciting project placing culture, creativity and community at the heart of Colwyn Bay’s regeneration.
The project launched on the 9th of April
Read more here
Unfortunately, our loyalty scheme was not adopted by the businesses within the Bay of Colwyn area and a decision was made to no longer proceed with this project.
Find details on the project here
Dates for the second round of sessions are being finalised.
More details available here
9 Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) have been installed throughout the Bay of Colwyn area.
Full details of the project can be found here
This 12 months pilot project consisted of two part time maintenance caretakers known as the Colwyn BID Buddies. They were tasked with delivering small handy man type maintenance projects throughout the Bay of Colwyn area assisting with enhancing the appearance of the community.
The cost of this project exceeded our annual budget and we were unable to deliver maintenance tasks in line with our partnership baseline agreements which lead to a decision being made not to proceed with the project beyond its pilot phase.
Read more on the project here
In 2018 we launched a discount scheme with Arriva buses for our business owners, their employees and local community residents.
This scheme is simple and offers up to 20% discount on standard Arriva ticket fees with tickets a weekly ticket available from as little as £14 or £45 for a 4-weekly ticket. There are more ticket options available, click on the link below to choose an option which best suits your travel needs:
The card works in a similar way to the Oyster Card (used on the London underground) and once you’ve registered your card its even easier to keep it topped up.
Unfortunately we have been unable to get approval from the relevant authorities for this project to go ahead due to health & safety and maintenance concerns
The proposal for a Bay of Colwyn Gift Card (Town Card) was not approved at by the Strategic Board due to the lack of demonstrated business support with previous schemes we have attempted to implement.
* The project completion status bars illustrate the phases of Colwyn BID’s involvement or support for the schemes.
Many of the projects are led by external organisations and a completed progress bar may only indicate completion of Colwyn BID’s proportion of the project
