Statement: Stratford BID update

Last week, Stratford-on-Avon District Council received a letter raising concerns in regard to the current ballot which is underway for the Stratford-upon-Avon Business Improvement District.

The District Council is still reviewing its position in relation to this correspondence and will not comment further at this stage.

However, the District Council can confirm that there are no powers available to it as the billing authority under The Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004 to halt the current ballot, and therefore, having been started the ballot has to be conducted.

The District Council has received definitive legal advice to this effect, although it is aware of ballots which have been paused, these were done before the ballot process in accordance with the timetable under Schedule 2 of the Regulations got underway.

Ultimately, it is the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities who has a power to void a ballot, however this can only occur after the ballot has concluded.

The ballot will therefore continue and as such the District Council urges all business who have received a ballot under the Stratford-upon-Avon Business Improvement District Proposals to still vote on this matter.

The ballot will run until 22 February 2024.