Issue - meetings

To consider the way the Council should vote in the Business Improvement District ballot and to ensure officers have appropriate delegations to complete ballot papers on behalf of the Council.

The Committee considered a report on the Wilmslow Town Centre Business Improvement District ballot and the way the Council should vote in the ballot.

The Council was the owner of several hereditaments within the proposed Business Improvement District (BID) area and therefore would be entitled to vote in the BID ballot, and, if the ballot was successful, be liable to pay the levy for its hereditaments falling within the scope of the BID proposal.  The estimated BID levy on the Council was circa £5.5k/per annum (increasing by 0.05% per annum after 22/23) and would be payable over the five year term of the BID.

The report recommended that the Council should vote ‘Yes’ as there would be a relatively low cost to the Council in the form of the levy, the BID proposals complemented the efforts of the Council to support the vitality and viability of Wilmslow Town Centre, aligned with the Council’s corporate priority to support successful town centres and was in line with the recommendations of the emerging Wilmslow Town Centre Vitality Plan.

RESOLVED:  That

1          the Wilmslow Town Centre Business Improvement District be supported by the Council.

2          delegated authority be granted to the Director of Growth and Enterprise to complete any ballot slips the Council is entitled to complete in the  Business Improvement District ballot, voting in support of the Business Improvement District in the ballot on behalf of the Council for the Council’s hereditaments.

3          in the event the Council is requested to attend the Business Improvement District meetings in an advisory capacity, the Director of Growth and Enterprise accept and agreed the most appropriate officer representation and empower that officer to provide such advice to Business Improvement District meetings as they consider necessary.

4          in the event of a ‘yes’ vote and the Business Improvement District proceeding, delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director Place to consider the Terms of Reference of the Business Improvement District Board, and having regard to any advice given by the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chair of the Economy and Growth Committee, determine whether to put forward a Cheshire East Council representative for appointment onto the Business Improvement District Board, and if so, select the appropriate appointee and empower the appointee to make any decisions required on behalf of the Council.