Council and BID respond after Northampton café owner warns business may not survive

Last month (June), Mariola Fuller, owner of Dreams Cafe in St Giles Street, appeared before Wellingborough Magistrates' Court after refusing to pay the mandatory Business Improvement District (BID) levy, which she said costs her business around £250 a year.

Following the hearing, which Mrs Fuller said has since been suspended while she raises her concerns with West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), she sent a detailed letter to the authority setting out what she described as the realities of running an independent business in Northampton town centre.

In the letter, Mrs Fuller said Dreams Cafe made a profit of just £67 in May and that financial pressures had forced her to make a member of staff redundant. She also criticised the annual pavement licence fee, raised concerns about recent break-ins, anti-social behaviour and the condition of the town centre, and questioned whether businesses were receiving value for money from the BID levy.

Responding, Northampton Town Centre BID said it had provided Dreams Coffee Lounge with all publicly available financial information about its operations and had visited the business on several occasions over the past year to discuss support and promotional opportunities. It said businesses paying the levy receive a range of benefits, including marketing campaigns, initiatives to boost footfall and access to tools for reporting anti-social behaviour directly to Northamptonshire Police.

WNC said it recognised the pressures facing independent businesses, including rising costs, reduced consumer spending and the impact of crime. It said it had offered to meet with Mrs Fuller to discuss available support, was continuing to work with partners on tackling anti-social behaviour and improving the town centre, and remained committed to supporting businesses and revitalising Northampton town centre before going on to respond to the individual concerns raised.

In her letter to WNC, Mrs Fuller said: "In May, my business made a profit of just £67. Yes, £67 for an entire month of hard work, long hours and constant stress. This is not sustainable for any business owner trying to survive in Northampton town centre.

"The financial pressure has become so severe that I was forced to make a member of staff redundant in recent months because I simply could not afford to continue paying contracted hours. Making that decision was one of the hardest things I have had to do as a business owner."

She continued: “I am still being chased for payment for my pavement licence from last year despite explaining that charging all businesses the same fee is unfair. Some businesses have ten or more tables outside while my business has only two, yet we are expected to pay the same amount regardless of size or use.”

Mrs Fuller told the Chronicle & Echo the annual pavement licence costs around £600 and said she has now been warned that enforcement agents could attend next week to seize her outdoor furniture if the debt remains unpaid.

In her letter, she wrote: "We have recently experienced break-ins to our storage areas and theft of our stock and property. It is devastating to work tirelessly to keep a business alive only to become victims of crime on top of everything else."

She also raised concerns about the state of Northampton town centre. She said: “Northampton should be a town that people are proud to visit and spend time in. Our town centre should feel clean, safe, vibrant and welcoming rather than neglected and in decline. Empty units continue to increase and every month another business closes its doors."

Mrs Fuller also questioned whether businesses were receiving value for money from the BID levy.

She wrote: "As a struggling independent business owner, I do not feel supported and I do not believe I am receiving value in return for the cost imposed on my business."

Warning of the future facing her business, Mrs Fuller wrote: "The reality is simple: if conditions continue as they are, I do not believe my business will survive the next quarter."

She added: "We are not asking for handouts. We are asking for support, understanding and meaningful action before it is too late.

"I do not want sympathy. I want Northampton town centre to survive."

Responding, Northampton Town Centre BID said: "Northampton Town Centre BID is committed to operating in an open and transparent manner and has provided Dreams Coffee Lounge with all publicly available financial information relating to the BID's operations.

"The BID team works hard to ensure that all levy payers are aware of the wide range of opportunities the BID provides to support them. Dreams Coffee Lounge has been visited on multiple occasions over the past 12 months to discuss these opportunities and offer additional support.

"Many businesses, including Dreams, pay a BID levy of less than £5 a week for which they receive a wide range of support. This includes involving them in promotions which drive footfall, providing access to an app to report issues such as anti-social behaviour directly to Northamptonshire Police and working closely with local authorities to ensure the town centre is kept as tidy as possible."

"Examples of promotional activity includes regular exposure on the BID's social media platforms. In June alone, posts across our Facebook and Instagram accounts achieved almost 500,000 views from a highly engaged audience of people across Northampton and the surrounding area."

"Specific promotions such as the annual Golden Ticket campaign encourage thousands of people to visit the town at Christmas. We were pleased to work with Dreams on campaigns for both Christmas and Small Business Saturday."

"We remain committed to working constructively with all levy-payers, including Dreams and two other businesses the owner is closely involved with, and continue to encourage them to engage with the wide range of initiatives and support available through the BID."

West Northamptonshire Council, in its letter of response, said it recognised the significant challenges facing independent businesses, including rising costs, reduced consumer spending and the impact of crime, and acknowledged the important role they play in Northampton town centre.

The authority said it could not directly intervene in the commercial operation of individual businesses but offered to arrange a meeting with council officers and the South Midlands Growth Hub to discuss available support.

Responding to concerns about crime, anti-social behaviour and the town centre environment, the council said it was working with Northamptonshire Police, Northampton Town Centre BID and other partners on enforcement, cleansing and outreach services, while accepting more work was needed.

It also said concerns about scaffolding affecting footfall would be reviewed, feedback on pavement licence charges passed to the licensing team, and comments about the BID levy shared with the BID.

The council added that revitalising Northampton town centre remained a key priority and said it was committed to working with businesses and partners to improve the town centre and support economic growth.