24 June 2022
We Are INverurie Business Improvement District re-elected to serve for a consecutive five-year term
We Are INverurie Business Improvement District (BID) has been re-elected to serve for a consecutive five-year term.
Following recent voting among BID levy payers, the ballot closed at 5pm on Thursday, June 23 with 125 votes cast in the ballot as follows (full breakdown below):
YES – in favour of the Business Improvement District proposals for the areas within Inverurie as specified on the Ballot Paper – 83
NO – not in favour of the Business Improvement District proposals for the areas within Inverurie as specified on the Ballot Paper – 42
The rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which these votes were cast were as follows:
Aggregate of the rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which a person voting in the ballot has voted for the BID proposals (A) - £3,593,700
Aggregate of the rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which a person voting in the ballot has voted against the BID proposals (B) - £755,250
Since 2014, the council has formally supported BIDs - business-led initiatives for those firms where an annual levy is charged to all commercial buildings falling within a defined area of a town if a yes ballot is successful.
This levy enables projects and statutory services above those that Aberdeenshire Council, Police Scotland, VisitAberdeenshire and Bear Scotland offer as their baseline services.
Following consultation with the businesses, a BID Proposal and Business Plan is drawn up which forms the BID company’s five-year plan for the delivery of these additional projects and services.
In Inverurie, the current BID has undertaken a number of projects and activities including new Christmas lights and switch-on, a Wedding Weekend, INtune INverurie Music weekend and the Pride of Inverurie Awards.
The BID has also subsidised the provision of hand sanitising stations, provided business training for first aid, customer care, food hygiene and social media, arranged hanging baskets and planters and undertaken extensive business promotion and marketing campaigns for Inverurie in general.
Although BIDs are business-led, a legal partnership has been in operation between the council and the BID companies since 2017.
Full ballot breakdown
YES – in favour of the Business Improvement District proposals for the areas within Inverurie as specified on the Ballot Paper – 83
NO – not in favour of the Business Improvement District proposals for the areas within Inverurie as specified on the Ballot Paper – 42
The rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which these votes were cast were as follows:
Aggregate of the rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which a person voting in the ballot has voted for the BID proposals (A) - £3,593,700
Aggregate of the rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which a person voting in the ballot has voted against the BID proposals (B) - £755,250
The total number of eligible business premises (total number of ballot papers) of
which a person is entitled to vote in the ballot was 212
The aggregate of the rateable values of relevant properties in respect of which a
person is entitled to vote in the ballot was £ 6,797,050
The aggregate property rateable value in respect of which a person, excluding
rejected ballot papers voted was £4,348,950
The return rate (turnout) in respect of those eligible to vote was 55.80%
The return rate (turnout) in respect of rateable values was 63.98%
On the basis of these papers:
1. The number of votes cast in favour of the BID proposals exceeds the number of votes cast against those proposals;
2. The aggregate of the rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which a person voting in the ballot has voted for the BID proposals (A) exceeds the aggregate of the rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which a person voting in the ballot has voted against the BID proposals (B);
3. At least 25% of the persons entitled to vote in the ballot have done so; and
4. The aggregate of the rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which a person voting in the ballot has voted for the BID proposals (A) plus the aggregate of the rateable values of the relevant properties in respect of which a person voting in the ballot has voted against the BID proposals (B) is equal to at least 25% of the aggregate of the rateable values of all relevant properties in respect of which a person is entitled to vote in the ballot.
As these four conditions have been met, on the basis of a ballot held for the purposes of section 38(1) of the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006, the BID proposals for the areas of Inverurie listed on the Ballot Paper have been approved.
Full details of the BID process can be found here: https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/business/support-and-advice/communities/town-centres/business-improvement-districts/