Agenda item

Report of Director of Service Delivery.

Lead Cabinet members:  Councillor Alan Shuttleworth

(KEY) (1) Amended Business Improvement District Business Plan (appendix 1 of report) approved; (2) The Chief Executive, in liaison with the Deputy Leader of the Council and the BID company, given delegated authority to determine the most appropriate timeline for the ballot to take place; (3) That, subject to (2) above; (a) The Council’s Returning Officer (as ‘ballot holder’) be instructed to proceed with the ballot and require the lead officer for revenues, benefits and service support to supply up to date rating list information in suitable format to the ballot contractor. (b) The Chief Finance Officer given delegated authority – (i) to determine the statement of baseline services and baseline agreement and to review the agreement annually; and (ii) if the ballot is successful, to operate a BID revenue account and pass over relevant monies to the BID company. (c) Expected costs of the ballot (c.£3,500) will be met by the council. (d) The Director of Service Delivery be given delegated authority – (i) to approve the BID operating agreement; (ii) to vote in favour of the BID in respect of business hereditaments held by the council within the BID area; and (iii) if the ballot is successful, to administer, bill, collect and enforce levies under the BID scheme. (e) Note that the council’s Returning Officer is permitted to delegate his responsibilities to others and that he has engaged the services of Electoral Reform Services Ltd to undertake the ballot on his behalf. (f) Agree that the initial ‘one-off’ software costs required to collect the BID levy (c.£20,000) will be met by the council. (g) Note that the council’s reasonable costs of collecting the levy and the associated financial management costs will be recoverable from the BID levy monies (paragraph 8.4 of the report to Cabinet on 22 March 2017).

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Service Delivery regarding an amended business improvement district (BID) plan.  Cabinet had previously approved the BID based on the original plan at its meeting on 22 March 2017.

Since publication of the report, a revised set of recommendations had been produced to address concerns raised during an ongoing consultation with town centre traders and Legal & General. These recommendations were circulated to those present at the meeting.  Attention was drawn to revised recommendation 2 that would grant delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in liaison with the Deputy Leader of the Council and the BID company to determine the most appropriate timeline for the ballot to take place.

Visiting member, Councillor Freebody addressed the Cabinet to query the original proposed timing of the ballot but welcomed the revised recommendations to the report which addressed the timing issues.

The amended BID, appended to the report, now included a 15% discount on the BID levy for serviced tenancies that pay a separate charge (unrelated to the BID levy) to the Arndale Centre for security and marketing.  This would apply to 72 units.  Section 5.2 of the report detailed examples of levy reductions at other shopping centres.

82% of businesses had expressed support for the BID.

Resolved: (1) That the amended Business Improvement District Business Plan set out in Appendix 1 of the report be approved.

(2) That the Chief Executive, in liaison with the Deputy Leader of the Council and the BID company, be given delegated authority to determine the most appropriate timeline for the ballot to take place.

(3) That, subject to (2) above;

(a)The council’s Returning Officer (as ‘ballot holder’) be instructed to proceed with the ballot and require the lead officer for revenues, benefits and service support to supply up to date rating list information in suitable format to the ballot contractor.

(b) The Chief Finance Officer be given delegated authority –

(i) to determine the statement of baseline services and baseline agreement and to review the agreement annually; and

(ii) if the ballot is successful, to operate a BID revenue account and pass over relevant monies to the BID company.

(c) The expected cost of the ballot (c.£3,500) would be met by the council.

(d) The Director of Service Delivery be given delegated authority –

(i) to approve the BID operating agreement;

(ii) to vote in favour of the BID in respect of business hereditaments held by the council within the BID area; and

(iii) if the ballot is successful, to administer, bill, collect and enforce levies under the BID scheme .

(e) Note that the council’s Returning Officer is permitted to delegate his responsibilities to others and that he has engaged the services of Electoral Reform Services Ltd to undertake the ballot on his behalf.

(f) Agree that the initial ‘one-off’ software costs required to collect the BID levy (c.£20,000) will be met by the council.

(g) Note that the council’s reasonable costs of collecting the levy and the associated financial management costs will be recoverable from the BID levy monies as outlined in paragraph 8.4 of the report to Cabinet on 22 March 2017.

(Note: Councillor Tutt declared a prejudicial interest in this item. See minute 29 above. He withdrew from the room and Councillor Mattock chaired the meeting for consideration of this item.)