Annabelle Ewing and local business improvement districts
Annabelle Ewing's approach to Business Improvement Districts starts with a simple idea: town centres work best when traders, local authorities and residents shape them together. For businesses in Alloa, Auchterarder and Bridge of Earn, that means practical improvements to streets, signage and shared spaces, backed by transparent decisions about any extra rates.
Her campaign for Ochil and South Perthshire connects those local priorities with Scottish independence and economic recovery. Ewing argues that a stable, confident economy gives small firms room to invest, while stronger devolved powers allow Scotland to design support around the places people actually live and work.
Listening to traders in Alloa and Auchterarder
Her engagement with local districts is built around listening before deciding where money should go. That means hearing from shopkeepers, hospitality operators, market traders and property owners about delivery congestion, vacant units, accessibility and the reasons people visit—or avoid—their town centre.
Her legal career and previous parliamentary service help her understand how public decisions become rules, budgets and obligations on the ground. A credible local campaign must also be honest about limits: a district can improve the area around a business, but cannot solve every problem with transport, housing or national taxation.
How local business funding works
In Scotland, a Business Improvement District is a business-led partnership created under legislation passed in 2014. Subject to the statutory process, owners of participating properties can vote on a proposal and agree an additional rate to fund agreed improvements.
The money is normally ring-fenced for projects such as cleaner streets, landscaping, signage, lighting and events. That matters to Ewing's economic argument: investment becomes visible when traders can see a cleaner approach, a busier lunch period or a better-connected shopping street. Regular reporting should show what each pound has achieved.
What Australian districts show
Australian experience offers useful comparisons, not a ready-made Scottish model. Melbourne's hospitality businesses rely on dense laneway footfall, while Sydney's independent retailers increasingly combine a physical shop with click-and-collect and online ordering. Both need tidy surroundings, clear access and coordinated promotion.
In Adelaide, weekend markets and nearby cafés show how a town-centre economy can turn an event into a repeat-visit habit. Traders value convenient parking, safe connections between stops and time to spend in the area. Australian councils operate business improvement areas under state rules, so Scottish proposals must be tested against the legislation that actually applies.
The shared priorities and different responsibilities are clear:
| Feature | Scottish districts | Australian approaches |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Business Improvement District (Scotland) Act 2014, with statutory consultation and a ballot for proposed levies | State and local legislation, including Queensland's Local Government Regulation 2012 and Victoria's Local Government Act 1989 |
| Funding | Participating property owners agree an additional rate for an agreed programme | Councils use activation budgets, grants or special rates, depending on state law |
| Typical priorities | Cleaner streets, shopfronts, signage, lighting and events | Public-realm work, small-shop support, market management and tourism promotion |
| Accountability | Business-led proposals, public reporting and council oversight | Consultation requirements vary, with published council business plans and spending reports |
For Ewing, the lesson is to combine a visible local programme with confidence in wider policy. Scotland cannot import an Australian scheme wholesale, but it can adopt the discipline of defined projects, transparent budgets and direct communication with the people paying additional rates.
A practical programme for town centres
Her campaign commits to making local businesses central to any district developed in Ochil and South Perthshire. A public charter should state the problems being addressed, the projects to be funded and how performance will be judged. Traders should see the timetable and raise concerns before spending is committed.
Useful actions for businesses include:
- Hold walk-throughs with traders, accessibility groups and council staff.
- Publish a schedule of works, costs and completed projects.
- Offer small grants for shopfronts, signage and energy upgrades.
- Coordinate events with neighbouring shops rather than promoting alone.
Local authorities and district partners should meet matching expectations:
- Consult residents and businesses before priorities are set or a levy renewed.
- Publish annual spending and footfall results, including disappointing projects.
- Coordinate transport, parking, deliveries and planning with trading needs.
These measures make a district accountable and useful. They also give local businesses a clear role in improving shared spaces, while giving Ewing a practical standard for local representation: visible results and a constructive relationship with the people keeping town centres viable.
Recovery, devolution and Scotland's voice
Local regeneration and national political authority belong in the same conversation. Businesses want investment rules that do not shift with every election, transport and broadband projects that finish, and an economy able to compete on skills, infrastructure and enterprise. Ewing's SNP platform connects economic recovery with the democratic case for Scottish independence.
Independence is not a substitute for a credible economic programme. The case for it is stronger when Scotland can use its own powers to support transition, skills, infrastructure and a broader tax base, while her campaign commits to representing Scotland's interests at Westminster. Her parliamentary experience is relevant to that dual task: protecting Scotland across the UK and giving communities a stronger say over decisions closer to home.
Take part in the local campaign
Residents and traders can help shape the next stage of local engagement by sharing the issues that affect daily trading and taking part in campaign events and volunteering. These conversations should include high-street businesses, rural operators, disabled residents and people who depend on local buses and cars.
For campaign updates, voting information and ways to contact the team, visit the campaign website. If you are eligible to vote in Ochil and South Perthshire, register your support, volunteer locally, and help build a stronger voice for Scotland.