The Board of Chester’s city centre business improvement district, CH1ChesterBID, has made two key leadership appointments.
Following an extensive recruitment campaign, Carl Critchlow, formerly BID Co-ordinator at Birkenhead BID which recently secured a compelling “yes’ vote, joins CH1ChesterBID as BID Manager. He will replace Rita Waters.
Nick White joins CH1ChesterBID as the new City Centre Manager and will work alongside current post holder Peter Lewis until he retires later this month. Nick joins from Southport BID where he was Operations Manager. He was also previously Town Centre Manager in Warrington, Cheshire.
Ed Oliver, Chairman of CH1ChesterBID, said: “Carl and Nick are two exceptional operators and both come with a wealth of knowledge about successful business improvement districts. They were the obvious choice for Chester and will bring fresh eyes to the city’s challenges and opportunities. We’re delighted to have them both on board and know they will be real assets to the city.
“As we’ve said before, we have ambitious plans to create a better future for our city – plans that put Chester city centre back where it belongs as the retail, business and leisure destination of choice – and the Board and myself know that Carl and Nick both share that same commitment.”
“I’m very proud to be joining CH1ChesterBID and personally delighted to have the opportunity to work in this fantastic city every day”, said Carl Critchlow who joined the team on Wednesday 24th February. “I’m aiming to engage with as many CH1ChesterBID members as possible over the next few weeks and, most importantly, listen to everything they have to say. I want to spend time understanding their priorities and how CH1ChesterBID can support them as an independent organisation representing their interests.
“This city has so much to offer and I relish the chance to work with the 550 BID member businesses, the Board and our wider partners to build on the momentum of the last 18 months and – together – and find more ways to deliver a positive, profitable and sustainable future for Chester city centre”, Carl added.
“Chester is a wonderful city and the appeal of walking these cobbles every day for a living was incredibly strong!” added Nick White, who joined the team on Monday 7th March. “I’ll be working closely with Peter Lewis to understand the city’s day-to-day priorities over the next few weeks, and, longer term, I’m really looking forward to supporting the team, the BID Board, city centre businesses and our partners on a range of projects and activities that will help us showcase our city to the world in the best possible ways.”
CH1ChesterBID started work in September 2014 following a successful ballot involving all of the businesses within the BID area.
The full BID term will run for five years until September 2019, during which time around £2.5m of private sector funds will be invested directly into city centre improvements.
