Petition launched to urge Scarborough Council to release Yorkshire Coast BID investigation results

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The council commissioned the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) to undertake the review into its role of the 2018 BID ballot, the validity of which has been called into question by a number of businesses in the borough.

Peter Stanyon, the chief executive of the AEA has now delivered his report to the council, with the authority saying it has asked for a “few points” of clarification before it publishes the results.

Sixty people have now signed a petition on the council’s website calling on it to release the report without delay.

Scarborough Council has been asked to release the Yorkshire Coast BID investigation results.

The petition states: “The report in full is currently withheld by the council. There is no valid reason why the executive summary and conclusion should not be released.

“Releasing these elements of the report will help relieve the stress and uncertainty for businesses across the borough.”

The BID is made up of more than 1,300 businesses in the tourism industry from Staithes in the north to Spurn Point in the south with a rateable value of more than £12,000, who have to pay a mandatory levy into the DBID, calculated at 1.5% of their rateable value.

The 2018 ballot of businesses was passed by a margin of 217 in favour with 175 against, on a turnout of just above 29%.

However, it later came to light that 71 of the yes votes came from the councils involved in the process, including 38 from Scarborough Council.

The council has said the report will be released.

A spokesman for the authority said: “We have received a first draft of the report and have asked the AEA author for a few points of clarification on it.

“Once these have been received, the report will be taken through the council’s agreed audit committee process.”

The council has also revealed that it has sent out 306 final notices for non-payment of the BID levy out of a total of 956 accounts in its area.

Unlike neighbouring East Riding Council, Scarborough Council has not yet issued summonses for those who have not paid to be taken to court.

A group of businesses fighting the BID, The Yorkshire Coast Levy Payers Association (YCLPA), has also appealed to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to have the result of the ballot overturned.

You can view the petition mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?id=42">HERE.