Yorkshire coast businesses have resoundingly voted against renewing the BID which was a subject of complaints for many years.
The Yorkshire Coast Business Improvement District (BID) is set to be disbanded after companies voted against renewing it with only 38 ballots cast in favour of another five-year term.
It comes two years after Scarborough and Whitby councillors voted to “work with the BID to bring about its speedy closure”.
Controversially, the Yorkshire Coast BID was originally approved in 2018 with votes from Scarborough Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council as their car parks were listed as businesses.
This time around both North Yorkshire Council and the North York Moors National Park Authority chose not to vote. The ballot result showed that the majority of local businesses did not want to continue with the BID
Councillor Michelle Donohue Moncrieff said the result vindicated businesses and councillors who had warned that the vote to set up the BID was
“too reliant on votes from council-owned properties”.
“I am delighted for the ‘No’ vote campaigners who have worked for years to achieve this result. This has been a David vs Goliath battle.
“North Yorkshire Council and the North Yorks Moors National Parks Authority were right not to vote in this ballot.”
Businesses have long criticised the private tourism company, which sought to raise more than three million pounds through a business levy, with plans to put the money back into the communities.
The 1.5 per cent mandatory levy – going up to two per cent – affected every retail, leisure, accommodation and food and drink organisation with a rateable value of £12,000 and above in the YCBID area, which runs from Staithes in the north to Spurn Point in East Riding at its southern point.
Dozens of businesses ended up in court after refusing to pay the levy.
Clive Rowe-Evans, Chair of the Yorkshire Coast BID, said that despite the result, the board and wider team were
“incredibly proud of what has been achieved over the last five years”.
He added:
"The ‘No’ campaign has fought diligently, and we hope that the same energy and passion will now be refocused on supporting the business community so that the area stays vibrant and well-promoted for future generations to enjoy."
“We still believe that the BID mechanism presents a fair and equitable way to raise funds to deliver activities that drive up footfall and spending.
“We wish the business community well in raising those vital funds to allow the many great events and initiatives that businesses, residents and visitors have enjoyed over the last five years.”
Coun Donohue Moncrieff, who represents the Hunmanby and Sherburn division, said:
“The YCBID had five years to gain the confidence of Yorkshire Coast businesses.
“It treated the warnings from businesses and councillors such as myself with utter contempt. They have only them to blame for losing the ballot.”
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