Agenda item

REPORT OF THE COMMUNITIES MANAGER

To obtain Cabinet’s endorsement of proposals to progress to renewal ballots for the Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) for Hitchin and Letchworth.

Audio Recording – Start of Item – Session 1 - 30 minutes 57 seconds

Prior to the item being discussed Councillor David Levett declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest as he was the Council’s representative on the Letchworth BID Board and had been involved in the preparation of the documents regarding the Letchworth BID renewal being considered by Cabinet. His business would also be providing space for the board to meet and for the AGM. He advised that he would leave the room for the duration of the item.

RESOLVED;

(1)       That any further decisions be delegated to the Leader of the Council, in consultation with officers from relevant NHDC services on instruction to hold the BID ballots (including confirmation of any conflict of the BID Proposals with the Council’s adopted policies, and upon receipt of the finalised BID Proposals, instructing the Returning Officer to hold the BID ballots);

(2)       That the Service Director – Customers be authorised to cast the Council’s votes in the BID ballots in favour of acceptance.

REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS: The Council is under a legal duty to comply with the BID arrangements under section 44 of the Local Government Act 2003 (‘the Act”). This includes compliance with the Act and The Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004 (as amended) (“the Regulations”) in respect of receipt of any BID renewal.

Councillor Levett retuned to the meeting.

Audio Recording – Start of Item – Session 1 - 30 minutes 57 seconds

Prior to the item being discussed Councillor David Levett declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest as he was the Council’s representative on the Letchworth BID Board and had been involved in the preparation of the documents regarding the Letchworth BID renewal being considered by Cabinet. His business would also be providing space for the board to meet and for the AGM. He advised that he would leave the room for the duration of the item.

The Leader of the Council presented the report of the Communities Manager in respect of the Hitchin and Letchworth Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) Renewal. The following appendices were submitted with the report:

·                Appendix A – Hitchin BID Renewal Business Plan 2019 – 2024

·                Appendix B – Letchworth BID Renewal Proposal & Business Plan 2019 - 2024

The Leader of the Council advised that Cabinet was being asked for their endorsement to progress the renewal ballots for the Business Improvement Districts for Hitchin and Letchworth.

The Communities Manager advised that the following corrections should be made to the report:

Paragraph 6.1

The date should read:

“10 July 2018”

Paragraph 7.3

This should read:

“In NHDC the past process of consideration of the BID proposals and instruction to hold a renewal ballot has been through Cabinet.”

Paragraph 8.7

The first sentence of the last paragraph should read:

“Any last minute sealed votes not posted to UK Engage by 5 December 2018 can be handed in at the Council Offices, North Hertfordshire District Council, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City, Herts SG6 3JF up until 5.00pm on Wednesday 5 December 2018.”

The Communities Manager drew attention to the recommendations at Paragraph 2 of the report and informed Members of the following:

·                If the ballots were successful the BIDs would be renewed on 1 April 2019;

·                This was the third ballot for Hitchin and the second ballot for Letchworth;

·                The Authority had sought an external body, Engage UK,  to undertake the ballot process;

·                Paragraph 8.6 of the report gave details of the amount that would be charged for each levy;

·                Monies raised by the BID levy would be used by the BIDs to meet the objectives detached in each proposal;

·                Paragraph 10.4 of the report gave details of the amount that NHDC would pay as a BID levy in each area;

·                Paragraph 8.7 of the report laid out the timetable for BID renewal;

·                The Council had good working relationships with all of the BIDs and the BID Managers;

·                NHDC was the only District in the Country to have three BID areas and were held up as an example of how to support BIDS.

In respect of the third BID area in the District, a report would be submitted to Cabinet on 18 December 2018 to consider renewal, with the BID ballot planned for early 2019 and commencement from 1 April 2019.

The Communities Manager responded to a number of questions from Members

Following a vote it was:

RESOLVED;

(1)       That any further decisions be delegated to the Leader of the Council, in consultation with officers from relevant NHDC services on instruction to hold the BID ballots (including confirmation of any conflict of the BID Proposals with the Council’s adopted policies, and upon receipt of the finalised BID Proposals, instructing the Returning Officer to hold the BID ballots);

(2)       That the Service Director – Customers be authorised to cast the Council’s votes in the BID ballots in favour of acceptance.

REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS: The Council is under a legal duty to comply with the BID arrangements under section 44 of the Local Government Act 2003 (‘the Act”). This includes compliance with the Act and The Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004 (as amended) (“the Regulations”) in respect of receipt of any BID renewal.

Councillor Levett retuned to the meeting.