Watford Borough Council has declared that Clarendon and Station Road businesses voted in favour of the Watford Clarendon Business Improvement District (BID) proposal....
A BID is a business-led partnership which enables coordinated investment in the management and promotion of a commercial area. Over 340 BIDs are already operating successfully around the UK, including Watford Town Centre BID which has been in operation since April 2016. BIDs do not replace local authority and police services but provide additional, supplementary resources and activities.
Watford BID Ltd, the company responsible for the governance and management of both Watford Town Centre BID and now Watford Clarendon BID, will deliver over £1.8 million of reinvestment into the Clarendon district from 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2031. The projects, campaigns and planned investments were all proposed to voting organisations via a business plan proposal.
A total of 79 organisations in the defined geographical area were given the opportunity between 20 February 2026 to 19 March 2026 to vote on the proposal of Watford Clarendon BID. The result of the ballot sees a majority 71% of organisations voting in favour of the BID proposal and an even greater majority of 87% by rateable value voting in favour.
Watford Clarendon BID’s first term will be funded by those organisations in the BID’s defined geographical area with a rateable value of over £12,000. The charge issued to those organisations will be a 2% levy of their rateable value, with a portion of those receiving a reduced rate if they fall within specified criteria outlined in the BID levy rules. Watford Clarendon BID will deliver activities and initiatives that enhance the Clarendon experience, promote the area, support business growth, champion collaboration and embrace sustainability and innovation.
The vote in favour has been warmly received by Kara Mesiano, Watford BID Ltd’s manager and company secretary: "We thank all Clarendon and Station Road organisations for their resounding confidence in our business plan detailing over £1.8 million of reinvestment into the local area. This ‘yes’ vote speaks volumes of the appetite within the business community for local enhancements, promotion and collaboration.
"Watford Town Centre has evolved and improved significantly since the formation of its BID in 2016 and has proven how successful the model can be for our wonderful Hertfordshire town. The planned projects and campaigns for Clarendon will be bespoke to the area, but concurrently we will ensure there is synergy between the two Watford BIDs.”
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “This is fantastic news for Watford! This result shows businesses are committed to working together to create a more attractive, thriving and well-connected destination – supporting growth and jobs in the town.
“My thanks to Kara Mesiano, Simon Plumb and the Watford Town Centre BID team for their fantastic work, which has already made such a positive difference and will now extend into Clarendon Road.”
Simon Plumb, Chairman of Watford BID Ltd and Centre Director of Harlequin Watford, commented:
“We are delighted that Clarendon and Station Road businesses have shown their support and confidence in the BID proposal by voting in favour. Consultations and feedback from levy payers has been at the forefront of this development, as we want to ensure the needs of this critical commercial district are not only heard, but championed.
"We are excited to work with Clarendon organisations to further the district’s position as a thriving community where businesses, people and investment flourishes.”
Looking ahead, Watford Clarendon BID’s first five-year term will begin on 1 April 2026. The business plan outlining Watford Clarendon BID’s deliverable strategy, governance and budget is available to view at ballot.watfordtowncentre.com along with contact information for the Watford BID Ltd team and its board of directors.
