THE team behind the Okehampton Business Improvement District has decided to develop a scheme that focuses on the businesses in the town centre.

The Okehampton BID Association has held two meetings to introduce the idea of developing a BID for Okehampton which would encompass both the town centre and the outskirts of town, including the town's industrial estates.

The second of the two meetings, aimed at businesses from the industrial estates, was less well attended than the first.

The association's chair Kay Bickley said: 'We were concerned that we were not getting a clear picture from the employment estate businesses on their thoughts on establishing a BID.

'As a result we have canvassed the views of over 40 individual businesses by meeting with them at their premises. This has shown that the vast majority of those we talked with do not consider that there are issues which can be resolved through developing a BID covering the employment estates.

'We will therefore focus our efforts on working with businesses in the town centre to develop a BID proposal based on ideas to bring additional business to the town centre and to look at ways of reducing costs by working together.

'Our next job is to speak with town centre businesses to get their ideas on what needs to be done.

'We will then invite them to work together to prioritise the ideas and the most popular will be fully investigated.'

A BID is a partnership between a local authority and the local business community to develop projects and services that will benefit the trading environment within a set area — in this case, in Okehampton town centre. It is funded by a levy on the businesses within the BID boundary.

Although the industrial estates will not be included in the BID, any business will be able to benefit from the BID projects by making an equitable voluntary contribution to the scheme.

A BID can only be formed following a consultation period and a ballot in which businesses vote on a BID proposal or business plan for the area.

The vote is open to all businesses within the proposed BID area which are eligible to pay the levy.

To ensure the interests of both large and small businesses are considered, the ballot must be won by claiming at least 50% of the vote and by the rateable value majority of those voting for the BID.

If the BID was successful, the levy money would be collected by the borough council and would be paid into a ring-fenced BID account.