Voting starts for the new Plymouth City Centre Business Improvement District (BID)

Businesses have started to vote on whether the Plymouth City Centre Business Improvement District (BID) should continue for another five years.

The BID, run by the Plymouth City Centre Company, has drawn up a new business plan setting out its vision for the next five years.

Its chief executive, Steve Hughes, said: “With the huge changes in the retail climate, the work of the BID is more important than ever. We are there to make the city safe and welcoming and to put on events that attract more visitors.”

Without the  BID the city centre and all its businesses would miss out on a huge range of services and there would no longer be an organisation dedicated to marketing the city centre. The BID’s Plymouth Against Retail Crime (PARC) officers would also disappear.

All city centre businesses should have received a copy of the business plan and their voting paper(s) which can be returned in a pre-paid envelope.

Voting can only be done by post and ballot papers have to be received by February 27.

The result will be announced on February 28.