Quoted from brian

Not true, if you are a shopkeeper and want to serve on the BId board then, you can. That's what it's about. Perhaps you haven't read the promotional leaflet.
As far as the TCP starting the BID then perhaps that is a good thing if you have an issue as I'm sure you can get involved should you wish to do so.
Perhaps you might contact the BID manager and ask him to pop in and explain it to you, that would make sense.

I think the point missed here is that Kennet Shopping and Parkway don't give the shopkeepers individual votes. I do agree that there shouldn't be block votes as it gives an unbalanced view of the way shopkeepers might vote. I assume that what you say is true that retailers from these centres can serve on the BID board even though they haven't voted. Maybe someone can verify this.

Quoted from Newbury Shopkeeper

It takes a long time to get an account validated for this forum????????

What right does Maggie Williams or Neil Carter think that they have to make decisions on behalf of all their tennants?

They should not be committing shopkeepers to a scheme that they don't approve of. I am not at all happy with the bid because it has been organised by the town centre partnership an unelected body that has endorsed every single aspect of the vision for Newbury. We don't want the same old faces under another name, especially because we the shopkeepers will be paying them to hold their secret meetings.

Quite. It's nearly as strange as saving places at the top table for "property consultants" (though Russell appears to have sensibly stopped short of slipping "architect" in there just yet. )

It looks like they struggled to get enough town centre businesses to front it up....they've brought in Newbury College, NWN, and racecourse from outside the BID zone to bolster the document.

Quoted from Bartholomew

I think the point missed here is that Kennet Shopping and Parkway don't give the shopkeepers individual votes. I do agree that there shouldn't be block votes as it gives an unbalanced view of the way shopkeepers might vote. I assume that what you say is true that retailers from these centres can serve on the BID board even though they haven't voted. Maybe someone can verify this.

I must admit that I find that a bit strange and I don't go along with it at all. What it means is that they, the shopkeepers, may have to deal through an intermediary rather than dealing with the BID as an individual. However, I don't know the full story and unless Kennet shopping and Parkway tenants have agreed the block membership I see it as a way for the respective managers to have too much power if they are voting on behalf of a block of shops. Not what the spirit of the BID should be about. If they want a No vote, then they are going the right way about it unless this grey area is sorted.
As far as the Racecourse being part of the BID, I guess that's within the spirit unless they try to use their muscle to influence the town. Telling the taxi drivers that if they didn't come to heel, they would be banned from the racecourse comes to mind.

Quoted from brian

Telling the taxi drivers that if they didn't come to heel, they would be banned from the racecourse comes to mind.

This is shooting yourself in the foot time isn't it? Banning Taxis from the racecourse only makes the punters have to walk further to be picked up after the races or having to walk further to get there to start with. Most of the cabbies I've used recently (Xmas party times and all that) thought it was the funniest thing they'd heard in long while.

Threep.

As the BID has to find £10k a year from voluntary contributions as well, anyone reading this is likely to conclude that this £10k is going to come from businesses outside the BID. It says they don't get voting rights for their cash, which is a big improvement on the TCP (where for as little as £150 a year, you get access to all sorts of information kept from public view).

The rateable value of WBC (library/museum/offices) must be quite substantial (perhaps £8-9k a year), which is much less than the £25k they've been throwing at the TCP.

Quoted from Muddler

The rateable value of WBC (library/museum/offices) must be quite substantial (perhaps £8-9k a year), which is much less than the £25k they've been throwing at the TCP.

Business rates are the rateable value x 0.433 - if WBC are getting away with under £25k a year someone needs to talk to the valuation office.  They must be paying much more than that for Market St alone.

Quoted from blackdog

Business rates are the rateable value x 0.433 - if WBC are getting away with under £25k a year someone needs to talk to the valuation office.  They must be paying much more than that for Market St alone.

No. They GAVE the TCP £25k this year (not related to business rates, but under the BID the council will be).

I see Millets is going (and the Schoolwear Company has gone)....there's a lot of empties in towns up and down the land. Don't mean to be gloomy but this BID's got a lot to do.

Quoted from Muddler

I see Millets is going (and the Schoolwear Company has gone)....there's a lot of empties in towns up and down the land. Don't mean to be gloomy but this BID's got a lot to do.

Why are they spending so much money advertising to all and sundry? Surely they have a database of businesses in Newbury town centre, can't they approach them directly?

There have been huge ad campaigns in magazines, newspapers and local radio. Who is paying for all of this?

They now have a banner across Northbrook Street, that can't be cheap.

One local shopkeeper told me that from £200,000.00 p.a. raised, £80,000.00 will go on administration. How many businesses are going to be sucked in on this gravy train to replace the steering group?