The businesses of Knaresborough have been told BID is for the businesses, decided on by the business, but how can this be true if mass block council voting influences the ballot result?

For anyone that doesn’t know, Harrogate District Council (HBC) will have a vote for each Hereditament it is the rates payer for in the BID area; that’s every car park, toilet and each office it owns in Conyngham Hall etc - 28 votes all together!

HBC has a moral duty to abstain from voting in order to let the businesses decide for themselves, after all it is they who have been told will collectively decide on whethe rto have a BID or note.

A number of businesses recent sent this to all HBC Councillors which lays out the case for them to ensure the Coucnil abstains when they vote on their decision at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 15th September 2021. The case is clear and others should also lobby their Councillors now using the arguments in this letter.

To: All Harrogate Borough Council Councillors, CEO Harrogate Borough Council

Cc: All Knaresborough Town Councillors

FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL KNARESBOROUGH BUSINESSES, THE COUNCIL MUST DO THE RIGHT THING AND ABSTAIN FROM VOTING IN THE UPCOMING BID BALLOT.

As Councillors you’ll be aware that there is currently a ballot process in Knaresborough on whether to establish a Business Improvement District (BID). Consequently, at an imminent council meeting Councillors will agree what the voting positing of the Harrogate District Council (HBC) is for each of the hereditaments it has in the proposed BID area; yes, no or abstain.

The businesses of Knaresborough have been told a BID is for the businesses, decided on by the business, but how can this be true if mass block council voting influences the outcome?

In case you are not aware, HBC will have a vote for each hereditament it is the rates payer for in the BID area; that’s every car park, Public Convenience and each of nearly 12 offices it has in Conyngham Hall etc – a total of 28 votes all together.

HBC is legislated as a BID partner and has a vested interest in BID businesses investing in one of it’s towns, but it also has a moral responsibility to do right by both voting sides of the business community and not show bias. This makes the Council a very different. So the only way a fair ballot can be achieved for the Knaresborough businesses BID is meant to be for, is for HBC to do the right thing and abstains from voting for its hereditaments, in order to let the businesses decide for themselves.

Please consider the facts of the enormous influence HBC’s block voting is likely to have on the BID ballot. Of the total 303 votes, HBC have 28 votes, at first glance it doesn’t sound like much but it’s not that simple, here’s why:

- Average BID ballot turnout is 40% (British BIDs August 2021).

- In Knaresborough that turnout would equate to 122 votes cast.

- Say it’s close and YES wins with 63 votes, and HBC has voted YES.

- HBC will have cast 28 of those 63 YES votes = 44%, nearly HALF of the whole YES vote, for just 1 voting decision. This is significant voting influence.

If ballot turnout is lower this council block voting will have more weighting, and there are also 5 other public sector hereditament votes (North Yorkshire County Council and the Police etc) that haven’t even included in this calculation. So public sector votes could realistically represent 50% of the total YES vote. As you can see, this is massive voting influence.

This is not a decision based on whether you support the BID or not, it is a moral one in the name of democracy for a fair ballot. HBC should not vote NO, morally that’s not fair given it would cause voting bias against those businesses wanting a BID, and by the same reasoning HBC should not vote YES, as it would cause voting bias against all those businesses not wanting a BID.

You only have to look over at the turmoil created by council votes deciding the Yorkshire Coast BID. The BID didn’t have the true support of the businesses because council votes decided the ballot, consequently it’s unpopular, failing miserably and the fallout has proven a right ‘headache’ Scarborough Borough Council. Even some MP’s recognise the unfairness in a BID being decided by council votes, see attached a letter form a Yorkshire MP, the Rt Hon Robert Goodwill MP, member for Scarborough and Whitby. Following the council block voting debacle in his constituency he wrote to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government to express his concerns at council voting.

Given the enormous block voting power HBC have in the Knaresborough BID ballot, there is the risk of serious reputational damage for the Council if it votes YES for each of it’s 28 hereditaments. Do you think it would be right for the Council to be seen to force the BID on Knaresborough through it’s massive block voting power? Just imagine the backlash from businesses if that happened.

In case you are not aware, the ballot is already plagued with problems due to an inaccurate voters list, with ballot papers being sent to businesses not entitled to vote, and some businesses being missed off the voters list all together.

If you would like to see for yourself the views of many Knaresborough businesses visit this Facebook discussion page https://www.facebook.com/KnaresboroughBIDdiscussion or contact us to discuss. Ultimately please remember that as Councillors you represent the interests of every business in the Borough.

If Knaresborough is to do BID, it will only work if the true majority of real businesses vote it in, and the only way that can happen is a ballot without council voting influence. So far HBC have done the right thing as a Council by supporting development of this BID proposal and that’s only right. But the fairest and most morally acceptable decision for the council now is to abstain from voting for each of it’s hereditaments as some other Councils do, and be proud that they have embraced the true spirit of BID regulations by leaving the decision to the businesses BID is meant to be for.

Knaresborough BID will have the best chance of success if the true majority of businesses are behind it, and that can only be achieved without Council voting influence.

If you are a Councillor with HBC or NYCC reading this, the right thing for you to do by your Knaresborough constituents is ask your own Council to abstain from voting. Even if you support the idea of a BID, the decision really should be made by the businesses. If the BID is forced in by Council votes, do you really want to find yourself in the same mess as Scarborough Borough Council?

Everyone has been told BID is meant to be for businesses, decided by the businesses, so let’s make sure this really happens!

HBC must do the ‘right thing’ and abstain from voting.