A 28-day postal ballot is set to start on whether or not the Ulverston Business Improvement District should be renewed for the next five years.
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are precisely defined geographical areas where business ratepayers are invited to vote on an additional levy to their rates bill that, if supported, will be collected in a ring-fenced account and then used to finance the delivery of projects, services and activities detailed in the BID’s own Business Plan.
Ulverston BID was established in 2015 and is now up for renewal.
A majority of the business ratepayers in the BID area must vote in favour of the proposal, both by aggregate rateable value and numbers voting, for the BID to be renewed.
The postal ballot, administered by Civica Election Services, will take place between Thursday 24 September and Thursday 22 October, with the result announced by 5pm on Friday 23 October.
If there is a ‘yes’ vote, the new BID term will commence on 1 April 2021 and end on 2 September 2025. If there is a ‘no’ vote, Ulverston BID will be wound up on 31 March 2021.
The ballot had been scheduled to take place earlier in the year. Under the provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020, the existing Ulverston BID term was extended to 31 March 2021.
South Lakeland District Council manages the ballot process and act as the billing authority.
