Council calls for ‘speedy closure’ of Yorkshire Coast tourism body
Vote of no confidence in the Business Improvement District, but its chair vows it will carry on
Scarborough Council has passed a motion of no confidence in the Yorkshire Coast Business Improvement District and has called for its “speedy closure”.
‘[The BID must] get the support [of businesses] or get out of town’
At a full meeting of Scarborough Council last Thursday, elected members of the authority voted almost unanimously in favour of passing a motion of no confidence in the Yorkshire Coast BID’s governance arrangements.
But the chair of the BID said the motion had been “largely strong-armed by a select number of businesses”, and vowed it would continue until at least July 2024.
The BID was set up to provide projects and events along the coast, and, controversially, demands a levy from tourism businesses to help pay for what it delivers. At the council meeting, members of the public filled the viewing gallery, occasionally contributing with loud cheers.
The final motion, as it was passed, stated the following: “This council resolves:
●To work with the BID company to bring about its speedy closure
●Pass a vote of no confidence in the Yorkshire Coast BID’s governance arrangements and representation of local businesses on the board
Accept in full the findings
● and recommendations of the audit committee on 21 July 2022
●Note the advice given to the audit committee that the provisions found in regulation 18 have not been satisfied in order to terminate the BID arrangements
●Note that there are ongoing court proceedings in respect of non-levy payers in which the council is acting in its capacity as billing authority
●We●come the ongoing work of the places and futures overview and scrutiny committee in respect of scrutiny of the Yorkshire Coast DBID.”
Despite the motion being passed, the council is not able to directly influence the BID’s future.
The original motion at Thursday’s meeting was tabled by Cllr Bill Chatt, who had to pause the presentation of his motion to allow the Mayor to deal with a member of the public who had unfurled a banner in the public gallery.
However, Cllr Chatt’s motion was amended by the chair of the audit committee, Cllr Alex Bailey.
Responding to the first amendment, Cllr Chatt said: “I am going to say what I would have said, had I been allowed to discuss my motion because I think it is only fair and relevant to what we are discussing now.
“So if you want to stop me, please get one of your guys to drag me out because that is the only way I’m going to stop.”
In his speech, Cllr Chatt raised concerns about the spending and governance of the BID: “How great it is if I can get Scarborough Council’s legal position to drag money out of these poor people’s pock
ets… There are no Goodfellas here, Mr Mayor, they are all bad ones.”
Following approval of the amendment by Cllr Alex Bailey, a second amendment was put forth by Cllr John Nock, which proposed that the council also call for the closure of the
BID, which was eventually approved by a majority of the councillors present at the meeting.
Speaking before the second amendment was approved, Cllr Heather Phillips said: “This motion duly amended gives us a way forward, it is more strongly word
ed than the original motion.”
She added: “Support the levy payers and let us help them find a way out of this.”
The Yorkshire Coast BID was originally approved in 2018 with votes from Scarborough Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Controversially, both councils were able to vote as their car parks and public toilets counted as businesses. Without their votes the BID proposal would have been defeated.
Cllr Michelle DonohueMoncrieff said that in 2018 councillors did not have a say on the authority’s support
for creating the BID: “There never was an explicit mandate to cast those ballots for or against.
“Councils should not be casting ballots in BID votes. Either it is business-led or it is not.”
She added that the BID needed the support of businesses if it wanted to continue. She told the BID: “You either get the support from businesses, or your days are numbered.
“It’s your choice – get support or get out of town – it’s as simple as that.”
Following approval of Cllr Nock’s amendment, the council moved directly to a vote on the motion itself which was passed almost unanimously
by those present.
Ten councillors sent their apologies and did not attend the meeting, including two who said they could not attend due to “prejudicial interests in the matter”. The 10 who sent apologies were councillors Stewart Campbell, Sue Tucker, Guy Coulson, Jim Grieve, Janet Jefferson, Hazel Lynskey, Helen Mallory, Derek Bastiman, Marion Watson and Joanne Maw.
Councillors Grieve and Jefferson said they had “prejudicial interests in the matter”.
Hero Sumner, who chairs a group of businesses campaigning against the tax, called on the directors of the BID company to resign.
‘We’re proud of our involvement in such a wide range of projects’