As Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) works on its business plan for the next five years (subject to a successful ballot), the town’s businesses are demonstrating their support for its renewal.

The not-for-profit organisation has served the town for almost a decade delivering projects and services to support the Newquay business community. Currently approaching the end of its second five-year term which is due to cease on March 31, the BID hopes to be reinstated for a further five-year period.

The completed business plan outlining the key aims and objectives that the BID will lead on for the upcoming five-year term will be issued to every single BID levy payer by the end of October via hard copy in the post. A digital download and link will also be circulated via email and through social media platforms.

Ballot papers will be issued to all BID levy paying members via post, on November 10. Businesses will then have a 28-day period to cast their votes, which is a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote, before the voting closes on Thursday December 10. The announcement over the future of Newquay BID will then be made the following morning.

Some of the businesses supporting their BID include Jenny Briant of Fistral Beach Surf School. She said: “I hope there is a vote of confidence in the BID from the businesses that it represents. I have championed Newquay BID since its formation back in 2011 and have been a member of the BID board so have seen first-hand the transformative work that goes on behind the scenes to improve Newquay’s vibrant business landscape.

“If the BID is not voted back in then there will no longer be an individual body devoted solely to and fighting for Newquay’s success. I personally and professionally would like to see this critical work continue.”

10 COMMENTS

  1. Do not bother asking a BID for transparency most are unable to spell it. BIDs can cover their tracks as they are a private company set up with the backing of the Council and are not subject to a foi request. These quangos are a back door privatisation of services and the money extracted from local small businesses will give these small businesses anything back in return. Do some homework and do not take what paid BID members say as gospel.

  2. Thank goodness Llangollen (Denbs) businesses voted against becoming a BID town. The process was flawed, and the health centre would have had to pay £7k!!! Paying the levy during the most challenging 12 months we’ve ever seen would have been very difficult.

  3. ask bids to produce derails of full financial records, you wont get them. whos is receiving payment for running costs etc (so much for non profit)
    do they have agms/egms probably not
    think where your money is going and what your reciving in return

  4. “not for profit” really? whilst it might not be in it to actually make a profit, if you look into it there is a huge proportion of a bids income spent on admin and wages, usually to overpaid cronies who perpetuate the bid by using the money raised to canvass for a yes vote in the renewal. have a look on facebook for against bid pages, there are plenty of them as there is never a fund to canvas for the no vote.

  5. Considering the BIDs of Cornwall, Newquay included were given a government payout AND we are expected to pay the levy, what happens to the extra money that has been colledted? Does BID repay the government?
    What have BID (Newquay) done for the businesses of the town during lockdown and since? we have had emails from BID telling us what we already know aboput guidelines. I was also in a Town Council meeting recently and a councillor commented that the manager was “on a leave of absence” what does that actually mean considering it has been mentioned that nobody answers the BID telephones?
    All that we see for our money each year is our business name and address in the yearly magazine and we had a post shared once onto their facebook page. Can some of these questions be answered please?

  6. Fill your vote in say NO, otherwise like Penzance, St. Ives you will be paying for nothing because nothing is all you get as a trader who gives your hard earned money away. Covid, they just tell you stuff you already know. Dont be foolish SAY NO!

  7. Think carefully or you will be paying a tax to a unaccountable private company for 4 years.

    Take this year where the majority of BID companies are still charging businesses full tax but have not provided a service.

    Most have no shame hiding their accounts and some that don’t have no shame sending over 50 percent on ‘administration costs’

  8. I could not agree more . Bids usually manage to get in by accepting fraudulent yes votes . By accepting manager votes whom are not the levy payers . All shop managers need to be told unless they have a proxy form in place , then they are committing voting fraud and could be prosecuted. if they self certify . This may sound foreign to new bid proposal areas , but once your in and check out bid workings you find out how corrupt the who thing is

  9. Before you cast your votes, do your homework. Check out how BIDs around the country are not as popular as they would lead you to believe. Check out the Against Bid Facebook Group and Twitter Profile.

    Question them,, Ask for transparent accountancy, why are not regulated by an independent body? how much say do YOU have who the directors are and what they plan to do with every single penny of the money they tax you with, sorry, they like to use the word Levy.

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