NEWBURY BID BALLOT RENEWAL: TERM 3 2022-2027
"TAKING NEWBURY TO THE NEXT LEVEL" TERM 3 BUSINESS PLAN 2022-2027
Our “Taking Newbury to the Next Level” BID Renewal Term 3 2022 – 2027 Business Plan is available to view, download and share below.
Message from your Newbury BID Chair
Warwick Heskins
Newbury BID Chair
Owner & Founder of West Berkshire Pub Company
For many of us who run businesses, the past two years have been our toughest yet. Covid-19 has impacted us in an unprecedented way and continues to do so. As we recover, we must continue to pull together as a business community and support each other to grow and thrive. Newbury BID provides the umbrella under which we can do this.
Without the BID, the local business community would not have a collective voice. The fantastic work that the current team has produced over the past 18-months would be lost. Say goodbye to the Visit Newbury website, social media, marketing and PR; gone are the free events such as the Christmas Lights Switch-On Festival, Family Fun Days, seasonal trails, or specialist markets; no more Christmas tree, Christmas lights, or bunting for the town centre; no-one to manage the town centre CCTV or town centre BusinessWatch schemes; no access to free or discounted shared business services and initiatives; and no-one to lobby on behalf of the business community at a strategic level to influence the future of Newbury town centre.
By voting 'YES' to a further BID term, you are voting to take Newbury to the next level over the next five years. You are voting 'YES' to a future that ensures Newbury town centre benefits from more than £1.2m of business investment over the next half decade - funding that will be vital in our ongoing recovery from the pandemic. We cannot expect Newbury to be a vibrant, thriving town without this. I urge you to vote 'YES' to working together to take Newbury to the next level.
BID SUPPORT
KEY DOCUMENTS
You can read other key BID Ballot documents, such as our Term 3 BID Proposal 2022-2027, and any news and press by clicking the links below:
Term 3 Proposal 2022-2027
View our full BID Proposal to gain a detailed understanding of our plans
Ballot News and Press
Keep up-to-date with all the latest news on the BID Ballot, latest BID activity, and much more
BID BALLOT EXPLAINER VIDEO
Still unsure exactly what a Business Improvement District is, what it does for your business, or how the ballot process works? This useful BID Ballot Explainer video (created by Main Street & Surrounds BID) should help answer any questions you may have. Still unsure? Please click here to get in touch with us! Alternatively, you can view our BID Ballot FAQs below.
BALLOT TIMELINE
REQUEST A MEETING
We value your thoughts
If you would like to arrange a call or meeting with our CEO, Melissa Hughes, or a member of our BID Board or Team, to discuss our Term 3 Proposals, please get in touch:
By phone: 01635 760505
By email: Email us
FAQs
If your postal vote isn't received by the 5pm deadline on Thursday 24th February, your vote will not be counted and you will have no say in the future of Newbury BID.
For the ballot to be successful the following criteria must be satisfied:
- More than 50% of businesses that vote must vote in favour; and
- the total rateable value of those that vote in favour must represent a greater rateable value than those that vote against.
No, if your business falls within the defined geographical area of the BID, you are legally obliged to pay your BID levy and you are unable to opt out during the 5-year BID term.
While we very much hope your business does not cease trading during any BID term, we understand that sometimes it is natural for a business to move on. If this is the case, your levy bill will already be paid for the remainder of the BID financial year (1st June-31st May) and the new occupier of the unit (or the landlord if it remains vacant) will be subject to future levy payments from the following 1st June. No mid-year refunds will be given.
Yes, any business that is exempt from paying the BID levy or isn't located in the BID area can contribute voluntarily. If you join the BID in this way, you will receive the same benefits as other BID levy payers. To discuss voluntary contributions with the BID Team, please contact us.
On behalf of Newbury BID, West Berkshire Council will collect a levy from each eligible business. These funds will be transferred to the BID Company and ringfenced to be used only for the projects laid out in the Newbury BID Term 3 2022 - 2027 Business Plan. BID businesses pay a levy which is set at 1.5% of the rateable value and is collected annually. Businesses in the BID area with a rateable value of not more than £4,999 are exempt from the BID Levy.
The current BID term is due to end on 31st May 2022. If the renewal ballot is unsuccessful, the BID Company will be dissolved and all BID services, marketing, and our customer-facing 'Visit Newbury' brand will cease on this date. If the BID ballot renewal is successful, the new term will start on 1st June 2022.
All BID terms across the UK last for a maximum of five years. Once that term is over, the BID is legally required to review its projects and produce a new business plan, stating its objectives for the next term. This plan must then be voted on by the businesses that will be required to pay the levy.
