IT is ten years to the week that Taunton businesses went to a vote over whether or not to become a Business Improvement District (BID).
The vote came after an initial five year term as a BID came to an end.
Before the result was posted, Taunton Town Centre manager at the time Graham Love was confident of a YES vote.
“We anticipate a good response to the ballot with businesses choosing to exercise the vote in high numbers on this important decision.
“A wasted vote is to jeopardise the future trading position of Taunton and weakens the ability of Taunton to attract new investment to the county town.”
A successful ballot would have secures a £2million boost for business over the next five years to help Taunton recover from recession.
Though the majority of businesses in the ballot voted in favour, this positive vote represented just 45% of the rateable value of all votes cast.
This was not enough to satisfy the ballot test on rateable value, meaning Taunton narrowly missed out on the opportunity presented by the second term plan.
After the vote was decided, Graham Love wrote in the County Gazette in 2012 that:
“There is no escaping the reality that in these tough economic times national retailers have to make some very tough decisions about their future on UK high streets.
“Like many other towns across southern England, Taunton is feeling the effects of a prolonged period of static growth marked by the exit of some of the best known brands from the UK high street.
“Retail vacancy rates are a growing problem nationwide and until now, Taunton has fared better than most in the South-West, but the closure of a succession of national retailers in recent months is of great concern.”
“Whether or not Taunton benefits from the scheme, one thing is clear. In these hard pressed times it pays to band together, pool resources and play to our strengths.”
Since this NO vote, Taunton has had a number of new attempts to become a BID once more.
All of which have returned the same outcome - NO.
In 2014 the ballot returned an even worse result towards not becoming a BID.
And in 2020 it came to the fore once more, only for this ballot to be suspended just hours before closure, therefore returning a NO vote once more.
We would like to know what our readers think, should Taunton look to become a BID once again, or is it for the best that the town remains separate from this scheme.
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