Issue - meetings

To concider the report which seeks a decision on which way the Council wishes to vote in the ballot.

Having previously declared an interest, Councillors P Coan and S Gardiner left the meeting during consideration of this item.

The Committee considered a report on the Knutsford Business Improvement District (BID) ballot and the way the Council should vote in the ballot.

The Council was responsible for the payment of business rates on seven business premises within the proposed BID area, six of which had rateable values above the confirmed minimum threshold, and therefore the Council would be entitled to six votes in the BID ballot.

The report recommended that the Council should vote ‘Yes’ in support of the Knutsford BID proposal in the ballot because the proposals were considered to align with the Council’s strategic commitments as set out in the Cheshire East Plan 2025-2029.

If the BID ballot received a ‘Yes’ vote, the Council would have to pay the BID levies of £5,455 annually from April 2026. This would be an extra revenue expense and because BIDs were not driven by the Council, the costs were not budgeted for at a service level.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the Committee

1        approve that the Council shall vote ‘Yes’ in support of the Knutsford BID proposal in the Knutsford BID ballot, delegating authority to the Director of Growth and Enterprise to complete, sign and return ballot papers on behalf of the Council.

2        Agree that in the event of the Knutsford BID proceeding to commencement:

i.         The Executive Director-Place shall, having regard to any advice given by the Monitoring Officer, determine, in consultation with the Chair of the Economy and Growth Committee

a.     Whether a CEC representative should be put forward for appointment onto the BID Board, and if so, select the appropriate appointee and empower them to make any decisions required on behalf of the Council.

b.    Agree any advisory officer support to be made available to the BID Body, empowering that officer to provide advice as needed.

ii.              The S151 Officer shall write to the Director of Growth and Enterprise instructing that BID levies are paid for all eligible premises for which the Council is the BID levy payer and savings are made within the relevant service to offset the new burden.