BID Governance
Ilkley BID is pleased to follow the BID Foundation Industry Standards in providing transparent information about the BID and how it is managed. If you would like any information in addition to that listed below, please contact us by email – info@ilkleybid.co.uk and we will be pleased to help.
Who works for the BID?
The BID has one employed staff member and 3 additional part-time staff who work on a self-employed basis. Contact details can be found on the Ilkley BID Team website page, together with details of our current voluntary Directors and the sectors they represent.
To form a BID, a ballot takes place of all businesses who would be liable to pay the BID levy should be vote be successful. All businesses receive a voting paper and a copy of the Business Plan (see below) and the postal vote is carried out by an independent third party. The vote for Ilkley BID took place in March 2019 was managed by the Electoral Reform Service.
For a BID ballot to be deemed a success and a BID formed, there are two criteria –
- The number of businesses who vote ‘YES’ must be more than 50% of the overall number of votes received.
- The rateable value of the premises of the ‘YES’ votes must be more than 50% of the sum of the rateable values of businesses who vote.
In our 2019 ballot, the number of ‘YES’ votes was 129 out of a total number of votes received of 159 (81% in favour).
The rateable value of the ‘YES’ votes was £4,029,200 out of a total rateable value of those who voted of £4,605,100 (87% in favour).
The certificate confirming these numbers can be seen here – Ballot Results.
The number of votes cast was 159 out of a total of 334 eligible voters.
129 of our votes (81%) were cast by local businesses (i.e. not a vote cast by the Head Office of a national chain).
The BID will run for an initial term of 5 years (to 31st May 2024). A second ballot will take place before the expiry of the current term, determining whether the company has the mandate to operate for a further 5-year period.
The BID projects align with the 5-Year Business Plan, which was produced and voted on in the ballot in March 2019. A link to the document can be found here – Ilkley BID Business Plan
To ensure the BID is managed appropriately and funds spent in a responsible manner, our Voluntary Directors abide by the company’s Articles of Association and Terms of Reference.
Financial decisions are made in accordance with the company’s Financial Procedures and Procurement Policy, which can be seen here: Procurement Policy | Financial Procedures.
We also maintain a ‘Register of Interests’ which is updated monthly and this records if any Director has a specific interest in a particular project or would benefit financially (more than any other levy payer). A copy of this can be made available upon request by emailing info@ilkleybid.co.uk.
We aim to have Directors who represent a cross-section of business sectors, have a range of experience and abilities, and who all have a genuine interest in making Ilkley the best it can be for operating a business. We regularly encourage expressions of interest in being a Director in our newsletters, in our annual survey and at the AGM. An initial meeting with the BID Manager takes place to provide the opportunity for an informal discussion. If you would like to find out more about becoming a BID director, please email us – info@ilkleybid.co.uk. Directors are expected to be the business owner or manager of a levy paying business (including voluntary members) and we would usually expect Directors to serve on the board for at least 12 months. All Directors are resigned at the AGM and re-stand for election should they wish to do so.
Directors would typically attend two board meetings before being invited to join the board at which time the current Directors discuss the application and vote whether to accept the new member. The minimum number of Directors is 7 and this includes 1 member representing the local authority, irrespective of how many premises they are liable for.
The board of directors usually meet once each month and minutes of the meetings detail any financial commitments made, as well as notes of all other discussion points. Levy members can request a copy of board meeting minutes by emailing us – info@ilkleybid.co.uk.
The BID publishes a monthly e-newsletter, and you can sign up for this here.
A billing leaflet is included with the levy bills and gives an update on what the BID funds have been used for in the last financial period and upcoming project plans, plus details of the income received.
Our latest insert is here – 2023 Billing Leaflet.
All levy payers are invited to the Annual General Meeting, which usually takes place in September. The minutes of the last AGM can be viewed here. 2022 AGM Minutes. An Annual Report is produced for the AGM and copies of the latest report can be found here – 2022 Annual Report.
The latest accounts filed at Companies House can be found here: Company Accounts. Any levy member requiring a further breakdown should contact us by email, and we will be happy to provide more information.
Feedback and suggestions can be provided at the AGM, at monthly board meetings (please email us in advance to confirm your attendance, so we can make relevant arrangements) or by email – info@ilkleybid.co.uk.