Astmoor Industrial Estate is a large modern estate totalling 2.3 million square feet of primarily industrial space. The estate covers an area of approximately 195 acres.

A Business Improvement District (BID) is a partnership between the local authority and the local business community.

The formation of a BID District enables businesses to commission projects that will lead to improvements in their local trading environment, funded through an increase in their business rates. The vote is open to all tenants - if a majority approve the proposal, all ratepayers are then required to contribute. This money is ring fenced locally and is used to deliver the project or services requested by those local companies.

The first BID was the Bloor West Village Business Improvement Area, which was established in Toronto in 1970. Since then, this model has spread throughout the world and there are currently more than 100 BID's in the UK. The Astmoor BID was set up in April 2008 and will run for five years, until 2013. Before the end of this period, businesses will be given an opportunity to vote on whether the BID should continue for a further five years

Leeon Wong is Halton Borough Council's Business Parks Officer and he is the BID Manager, liaising with the companies on the estate to ensure that improvements are implemented and keeping the businesses informed about local and national training initiatives and networking opportunities.

There are four main initiatives suggested by the business community that Leeon is focussing on:

• Security
• Environmental improvements
• Image improvements
• Business support

These form the basis of the BID work programme for the current financial year 2010/2011.