FIRMS in Skipton are being urged to vote 'Yes' to the Skipton Business Improvement District (BID) - with the ballot on renewal now finally under way.

All levy-paying businesses should now have received their ballot paper through the post and have until February 7 to return it.

Many businesses and organisations in the town say it would be a disastrous blow if the vote went against renewal.

And they fear it would see a reversal of the last ten years of hard work in building Skipton into a destination town and helping it to thrive in the face of many other towns declining.

One described a 'No' vote as “a nightmare scenario” for the town.

Skipton was one of the first towns in the North to set up a BID when it was formed in 2009, and has invested £1.5m in the town since then.

The BID has set up and funds much of the Visit Skipton brand to promote tourism and encourage coach and group travel operators to continue visiting the town. It also runs the associated Visit Skipton website. It operates the Skipton Crime Reduction Partnership and has restored CCTV cameras to the town.

It provides the majority of funding for Skipton In Bloom, has helped businesses seeking grants, helped fund the town ambassadors, and operates the Best Bar None scheme for licensed premises.

It also provides funding for Skipton Christmas Lights and the switch-on ceremony, as well as many of the festivals and events that bring thousands of people into Skipton every year, including the Christmas Markets, the Waterways Festival, the Skipton Puppet Festival, Sheep Day, and the Skipton Cycle Races.

It is funded by a levy on businesses within the BID area based on their rateable values and the sector they trade in.

Levy-paying businesses are now voting on whether the BID should have a third term which would open up a further £800,000 investment for the town over the next five years.

Those behind the BID have seen a groundswell of support in the town over the last few months, but are urging all those behind it to now make sure they use their vote.

Chairman Andrew Mear said: “Businesses and organisations in the town have shown they recognise the work the BID has done for Skipton.

“We now need all those people who have supported us to make sure they return their ballot papers with a 'Yes' vote. Every vote counts.”

He said Skipton cannot afford to lose the BID, especially at a time when many other towns nearby had their own BIDs or were in the process of launching them.

“Over the last five years, the number of BIDs has increased dramatically. We are now surrounded by other towns and cities which have them. All are doing fantastic work to take those towns and cities forward.

“We don’t want Skipton to be left behind and to miss out. There is nowhere else that this money will come from. The ongoing investment will be lost and the planned initiatives over the next five years will not happen.”

Some of the town’s biggest employers, including Skipton Building Society and Computershare, have given their backing to the BID.

Other backers include Skipton Castle, Tesco, Skipton Town Council, Craven District Council, the Rendezvous Hotel, and many, many others.

Skipton Building Society chief executive David Cutter echoed Andrew’s concerns about the town being left behind.

“There are many reasons why Skipton Building Society continues to support the Skipton BID and why others should follow suit, but we are not alone in our belief in the BID. When Skipton BID was first formed there were around 100 such initiatives across the country; now we are one of 300 BIDs which are thriving,” he said.

“Our neighbours are also seeing the benefit with Keighley, Otley, Harrogate and Ripon all forming their own BIDs, hoping to reap the benefits which Skipton already enjoys. We need to make sure Skipton does not fall behind and continues to rise and prosper.”

BID manager and director Geraldine Thompson said she believed most people now understood how important it was for the town.

“We’ve got the message out about what we do and why Skipton needs the BID,” she said. “Now we just need the votes to make sure we can carry on ensuring Skipton continues to thrive over the next five years.”

All BID levy paying businesses should now have received their ballot papers through the post, and have until 5pm on Thursday February 7 to return them.

The ballot is being conducted by post by the London-based Electoral Reform Services.

Those eligible to vote in the BID ballot may appoint someone else to vote on their behalf (for example, if they are going to be away at the time of the ballot).

Applications to appoint a proxy must be submitted to Electoral Reform Service, 33 Clarendon Road, London N8 0NW by Monday January 28.

If you believe you should have a ballot paper and have not been received one you may apply to ERS for a replacement paper in writing or email bids@electoralreform.co.uk.

Ballot papers will be counted on Friday February 8 and the result of the ballot will be announced shortly after.

For a BID ballot to be successful there must be a majority of those voting in favour of the proposal, and those voting in favour must represent a majority of the aggregate rateable value of the businesses voting.