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21
Jan 2023
Harrogate firms prepare to vote on whether to continue funding business group
Firms in Harrogate town centre will be balloted in June over whether to continue to fund a business improvement district.
A total of 462 businesses in Harrogate town centre currently pay a levy of 1.5% on top of their rateable value to fund Harrogate Business Improvement District.
It is one of more than 350 BIDs in the country, set up to increase footfall by providing additional services to those run by councils.
Harrogate BID was set up in 2018 when businesses voted by 108 to 23 in favour of the initiative.
Businesses will vote again in June on whether to continue supporting it. The ballot will open on June 1 and close on June 28. The result will be announced the following day.
Ripon has a BID but Knaresborough rejected one.
Read more:
- New chair to take the reins at Harrogate BID
- Ripon BID announces Christmas windows competition winners
BID chief executive Matthew Chapman outlined the organisation's achievements at this week's annual general meeting at the Crown Hotel and made the case for the continuation of the organisation.
Mr Chapman said businesses could step into the void created by the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council on April 1. He said:
Sara Ferguson speaking at the annual general meeting.
The BID spent £608,844 last year to record a deficit of £13,737. Mr Chapman said the deficit would be wiped out when levy bill reminders and court summons prompted some late payments.
The BID funded initiatives such as free car parking, free buses into town, street cleaning, street entertainers, floral displays, Christmas lights, Harrogate lego trail and the platinum jubilee celebrations on the Stray.
Dan Siddle, general manager of the Crown Hotel, and Primark manager Andrea Thornborrow recently replaced Sara Ferguson and Richard Wheeldon as chair and vice-chair respectively.
Streets included within the Harrogate BID boundary:
Albert Street, Beulah Street, Bower Road, Cambridge Crescent, Cambridge Road, Cheltenham Crescent, Cheltenham Mount, Cheltenham Parade, Cold Bath Road, Commercial Street, Crescent Road, Crown Place, Dragon Parade, Dragon Road, East Parade, East Park Road, Haywra Crescent, Haywra Street, James Street, John Street, Kings Road, Market Place, Montpellier Gardens, Montpellier Parade, Montpellier Road, Montpellier Street, Mount Parade, North Park Road, Oxford Street, Park Parade, Park View, Parliament Street, Princes Square, Princes Street, Prospect Crescent, Prospect Place, Queensway, Raglan Street, Ripon Road, Royal Parade, Springfield Avenue, Station Avenue, Station Bridge, Station Parade, Station Square, Studley Road, Swan Road, The Ginnel, Tower Street, Union Street, Victoria Avenue, Victoria Shopping Centre, West Park, York Place
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