LOCAL businesses have been urged to join forces and vote yes in the Penarth Business Improvement District (BID) ballot.

Members of the Penarth BID Steering Group have warned that a resurrected Chambers of Commerce would “invariably falter because of a lack of funding or accountable manager to ensure projects actually get done” and that a Penarth BID would provide a more co-ordinated approach and give local businesses a voice.

During a monthly BID Steering Group meeting the Deputy Chair of the BID Gary Soltys said the core purpose of the BID was to improve marketing and promotion of Penarth, accessibility, representation of independent businesses and collective purchasing of utilities to save businesses money.

He added that fresh ideas from the BID to boost the town centre included an annual Jazz Festival and supporting the existing Food Festival to compare with Abergavenny.

During as well-attended monthly meeting the BID Steering Group recommended that a part-time manager working around 1-1.5 days per week be appointed by the board. BID adviser George Grace suggested this was the typical approach for BIDs of this size spending around £10-15,000 of income on a person to work on behalf of all the businesses driving projects forward for the collective benefit.

Understanding was also sought by several businesses about levy collection costs. It was confirmed that the BID can expect to pay £3-4,000 per annum on levy collection as Penarth and Vale of Glamorgan Councils are sharing these costs, leaving 95 per cent of all income to be spent as directed by the business led board.

Discussions were also heard around the match funding role of a BID which should be seeking to increase its income by at least 50 per cent through application to the councils, Welsh Government and other arts and heritage etc bodies for additional project related funds.

Richard Snell, who has run A B Snell & Son for more than 20 years, said that the BID would give local businesses a better voice and would provide a co-ordinated approach to tackling issues in the town centre.

Former Penarth councillor Richard Snell said that he had previously had his doubts about the BID, which could raise around £425,000 through a two per cent levy above business rates over the space of five years to be spent in the town centre, but that after speaking to BID organisers his concerns had been allayed.

“It’s an attempt at a cohesive approach and at long last bringing in some positive results,” he said.

“This will be run by businesses for businesses, and provides an opportunity for businesses to promote and market Penarth as a destination place.”

He added: “I’m passionate about the town and that’s why I’m supporting the Penarth BID.”

Other traders have questioned how the money raised from the initiative would be spent and how it could benefit the town, the administration costs to run the BID, and whether there were enough supporters in the town to run the steering group.

They have said that a Chamber of Commerce could “galvanize” the town and wouldn’t have the same costs as the BID.

For the BID to be approved more than 50 per cent of local businesses must vote in favour at a ballot.

The ballot for the Penarth Business Improvement District opens on February 2 and closes on March 2.