Town centre businesses get ready to vote on whether they want to keep Banbury BID

Lead town host for the BID team Terry Jones and strategist Jasmine Gilhooly.

Banbury town centre businesses will have until next Thursday (February 16) to vote whether they want to reinstate the Banbury BID for another term.

BID terms last five years and are voted on in a ballot by local business owners, who will then pay a levy to the BID in exchange for it bringing in more shoppers and visitors to the area and being an active and approachable voice for the town centre.

Banbury has had a BID (Business Improvement Districts) company for five years. However, the current team, which consists of Jasmine, Terry and Kelly has only been operational in the town for the past eight months.

Jasmine Gilhooly, the Banbury BID strategist, said: "In the past eight months that the current team has been in place, we have really been trying to rebuild a community network and push the fact that we are passionate to see the town grow.

"From my own personal experience, I was a business levy payer, so I understand the struggles of small enterprises, and I do want to see the town flourish."

"If we can bring more people into the town with events like the Victorian Market, raise the profile of the town centre and enrich the consumer experience for shoppers, then it gives the community the opportunity to support that."The ballot will be determined by a simple majority of votes cast and a rateable value of votes cast, with each business allowed one vote in respect of each property occupied or (if unoccupied) owned by them within the BID area.

For more information on the Banbury Bid visit their website at banburybid.com.