On 31 May 2013 Weymouth businesses voted YES for the Weymouth BID (Business Improvement District) to go ahead. At the first Weymouth BID management meeting following the yes vote it was decided that BID Chair Nigel Reed would step down and Mr Barrie Huett of Albert Goodman, Chartered Accountants would be appointed.
Over 500 businesses were eligible to vote in the BID Ballot which closed on 31 May. All businesses with a rateable value of £6,000 and above within the Weymouth BID area were entitled to vote.
The BID achieved a 69% (189) YES vote on a turnout of 46% (274).
Nigel Reed Chair of the Weymouth BID said “My role as Chair was to help achieve a Yes vote, and now it is an appropriate time for a new Weymouth BID Chair to be appointed who will be able to take the project to the next phase. I will continue as the Weymouth BID Co-ordinator as there is still plenty of work to do on the information and procedures to elect a new Weymouth BID Management Board, develop the advertising campaign for the Weymouth BID Manager position together with the formation of the Tender proposal process. All of these decisions will be considered and agreed by the new Weymouth BID Management Board. The timescale for all of this to be completed in August 2013 – so I think until august I am still going to be busy…..”
Barrie Huett of Albert Goodman and new Chair of the Weymouth BID said “I am delighted to be appointed Chair of Weymouth BID and to have the support of the Steering Group in leading the organisation through the post ballot transition period. Nigel will be a very hard act to follow given his enthusiasm, commitment and energy in forming the building blocks to restore Weymouth’s prosperity in these difficult times. I also very much look forward to working with the new BID Management Board when appointed.
The Weymouth BID will be introduced as from 1 September 2013 and there are many items to be addressed over the next couple of months. One of priorities will be to elect a new Managing Board for the Weymouth BID and to appoint the Weymouth BID Manager. Letters will be sent to all businesses within the levy payment area with full details ahead of an Extraordinary General Meeting which will be held in July where both matters will be discussed.
