New laws are to give greater powers to businesses to improve our town centres.

The NI Social Development Minister Alex Attwood has announced that he would take forward new legislation following a meeting with Department of Environment Minister Edwin Poots at which the issue was discussed.

The new legislation will introduce Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to our towns and cities. This will mean greater powers and control for councils and local businesses. BIDs allow businesses to vote on the services they want to invest in to improve their trading environment.

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The sorts of services that can be improved include security, street cleaning and even new Christmas lighting.

Minister Attwood said: "I am confident that Business Improvement Districts will prove to be a useful tool in supporting town centres to recover from the current economic downturn. They have already proved successful in the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and the USA and now they can make a difference in Northern Ireland.

"These proposals will enable councils, with the agreement of local businesses, to fund and deliver improved services in specific areas, such as town centres.

"It will give them freedom to work in partnership to decide and deliver the services that are important to them; services that will make our town centres more competitive, safer, cleaner and more enjoyable for all."

The powers to introduce Business Improvement Districts will require new legislation. This will follow public consultation on the policy proposals by the Department for Social Development in the coming month

(NS/BMcC)