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The champagne was
flowing and
there were delighted smiles all round as Taunton town centre
businesses gave a clear ‘yes’ to becoming a Business Improvement
District (BID).
Voting took place throughout July and the result now puts
Taunton among
the first 55 BIDs in the country, making it the first town in the
South West following neighbouring cities of Bristol, Plymouth and
Truro.
It means over £2 million funds will be available over the next five
years for
the town centre, and plans are now ready to swing into action. These
include a dedicated BID police team day and night, major marketing
and events to keep and attract shoppers, state of the art street
cleaning, specialist signing and high tech information kiosks,
more Christmas lighting and other benefits.
“We are thrilled. It has been a year
long campaign to consult with, and explain to local businesses just
what BID can do for them. We know this will really help keep Taunton
firmly on the map as the best place to shop and visit,” said Lucy
Ball, Taunton
Town Centre manager, who has been leading the campaign.
The voting, carried out by the Electoral Reform Service, saw a
turnout of 43% of over 800 businesses, which compares well with
other town centre BIDs nationally. 72%
of businesses voted in favour by
number and 67%
by rateable value.
The
BID work will start on October 1 when the bills are sent out, but
initial plans are already prepared. An early Christmas present of a
state of the art cleaning machine will be ordered, extended
Christmas lighting arranged, and recruitment will begin for a BID
police team, as well as a BID steering group to include five levy
payers.
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We’ve done it! Lucy Ball, centre, and members of town businesses and
the Taunton Town Centre company, toast the BID success.
The
‘yes’ vote now means every business in the BID area from small
independents to large multiples will pay a 1% levy of their rateable
value, and there will be additional funding from other sources.
These are the
police, sponsorship, Taunton Deane Borough Council, Somerset County
Council, plus £30,000 from a £70,000 investment by the South West of
England Regional Development Agency (RDA) to help the BID campaign.
Many major stores
as well as small independents have championed the Taunton BID cause,
and landlord Standard Life Investment Funds Ltd will pay half the
levy for its 46 tenants in the town’s Old Market Shopping Centre.
The BID area will
include most of the main town centre plus East Reach and Station
Road.
For further
information on Taunton BID please visit
www.tauntontowncentre.co.uk
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