Councillors attack business plan that has ‘no moral right’ to go on

SCARBOROUGH COUNCILLORS have launched an attack on a controversial business plan saying it has no “moral” right to continue to operate in the borough.

Councillors said the Yorkshire Coast Destination Business Improvement District (DBID) was criticised for taking money from businesses struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic. They called for it to either show how it will change for the better or to scrap the project.

The initiative is made up of 1,300 tourism businesses from

Staithes to Spurn Point, with a rateable value of more than £12,000, which have to pay a levy into the DBID, calculated at 1.5 per cent of their rateable value.

Coun Liz Colling, the authority’s deputy leader, revealed that the council had sought ”expert legal advice” to see if it could force the closure of the DBID company, but it can not.

She added: “We are very unhappy with the DBID company on a number of counts, primarily a failure of communication with businesses, and a lack of visibility and support throughout the pandemic. It would not have been unreasonable for businesses to look to the DBID company to at least show some empathy and some practical solutions, but there is no visibility on plans to support businesses through the Covid recovery.”

Coun Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff said she wished there was a “red button” to make the DBID disappear, and it had “no moral right” to continue.

The Yorkshire Coast DBID has been approached for comment.