13
Mar
Businesses vote 'yes' to second term for Ripon BID
Traders have voted ‘yes’ in a ballot on whether to grant Ripon Business Improvement District a second five-year term.
It means companies will continue to pay a levy to fund Ripon BID’s work to promote the city and increase footfall until at least 2031.
A total of 67% voted in favour of the proposal.
Lilla Bathurst, manager of Ripon BID, said:
“This ‘yes’ vote gives the BID team a firm mandate to continue to deliver services and shows that the majority businesses support what we have done and want us to build on that success which we will do over the next five years.
Dan Chrisp, general manager at The Ripon Inn, said:
The marketing and promotion of the city through Visit Ripon has been invaluable for us — from raising Ripon’s profile as a destination to helping amplify our own events to a wider audience.
The Visit Ripon brand and the regular group meetings have created a real sense of collaboration across the city’s visitor economy, giving businesses like ours a shared platform and a stronger voice.
Visitor marketing
Ripon BID, which runs the Visit Ripon website, said it will focus on three objectives during its second term: local and visitor marketing, access and facilities and business support.
Its projects provide additional services to those run by local authorities.
Ripon BID was created in 2021 when firms voted by 70 votes to 17 in favour of setting it up.
To secure a second term, the ‘yes’ vote needed to secure more than 50 per cent of total votes cast. It also needed to secure the support of businesses with more than 50% of the total rateable values of all those who voted.
A total of 75% by rateable value supported the BID.
It means Harrogate and Ripon both have BIDs but Knaresborough doesn’t.
Knaresborough’s last vote was in September 2021 so it is approaching five years since its decision. There are no formal plans for a second BID ballot in the town.
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