Agenda item
Maidstone Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID)
- Meeting of Policy and Resources Committee, Wednesday 25th April, 2018 6.30 pm (Item 209.)
- View the background to item 209.
Minutes:
Mr William Cornall, Director of Regeneration and Place, presented a report to the Committee which outlined the progress of the proposed Business Improvement District (BID) for Maidstone Town Centre.
Mr Cornall outlined the following to the Committee:
·
The BID process was being progressed by One
Maidstone CIC, and the Business Plan and proposed BID area were in
the final stages of development.
·
One Maidstone CIC was a separate organisation to the
Council, although the Council held two seats on One Maidstone
CIC’s board.
·
One Maidstone CIC’s board had a broad
membership from across interested parties in the town centre. There
were 14 members of the board representing a range of different
types and sizes of businesses.
·
If successful, the BID would levy an additional 1.5%
on top of business rates for businesses in a defined area of the
town centre. The money raised from the
levy would be spent on the items listed in the BID’s business
plan. These items would be in addition to the services that Kent
County Council and Maidstone Borough Council already provided in
the Town Centre.
·
Businesses located in Fremlin Walk, Royal Star Arcade and The Mall would
pay a reduced levy of 1% due to having to pay a service charge to
their landlord.
·
Businesses that were located in premises that had a
rateable value of £15,000 or less would be exempt from paying
the levy.
·
If successful, Maidstone Borough Council would be
responsible for collecting the BID levy alongside Business
Rates.
·
The BID would be successful if 51% of businesses by
number of properties, and 51% of businesses by rateable value,
voted in favour of the BID.
·
One Maidstone CIC had been canvassing businesses
who were likely to be in the BID area,
and were confident that they would cross this threshold. However
this was dependent on Maidstone Borough Council and Kent County
Council voting in favour of the BID.
· There was not an active ‘No’ campaign against the BID, and many of the businesses that previously voted against the BID had stated that they were now in favour of the BID.
In response to questions from the Committee, Mr Cornall confirmed:
·
One Maidstone CIC would fold if the BID vote was not
successful, therefore it was crucial to
the future of the Town Centre for the Council to cast its votes in
favour of the BID.
·
The cost of collection of the levy would be billed
back to the BID organisation, so there was no financial risk to the
council of taking on the collection of the levy on behalf of the
BID.
·
The Council would be paying a net additional
£5,000 p.a. if the BID vote was successful, however it would
leverage in an additional £2.15 million of investment in the
Town Centre over the 5 year period of the BID.
· Those organisations exempt from paying the BID levy would still have a voice in the BID.
RESOLVED:
1.
The ballot for a BID, as proposed by the BID
organisation, is supported.
Voting: Unanimous
2.
Delegated authority is granted to the Director of
Regeneration and Place to cast the Council’s 15 votes in
favour of a BID in the ballot.
Voting: For - 12 Against - 0 Abstentions - 2
3. The Council will carry out the ballot on behalf of the BID organisation.
Voting: Unanimous
4. If the BID is successful, to enter into an operating agreement and a baseline agreement with the BID organisation.
Voting: Unanimous
Supporting documents:
- Maidstone Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID), item 209. PDF 71 KB View as HTML (209./1) 76 KB
- Appendix 1: BID Ballot Notification, item 209. PDF 434 KB