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View results of the votes cast by business ratepayers to establish Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in the Dorset Council area.
What is a BID?
A Business Improvement District (BID) scheme is a business-led initiative supported by government legislation. It gives local businesses the power to ‘raise funds locally to be spent locally’ on improving their trading environment.
The BID programme is funded by the businesses themselves through a levy on non-domestic rates. BID schemes usually operate for a period of 5 years.
For the BID to go ahead, two conditions must be met: over 50% of businesses that vote must vote in favour. Those businesses voting ‘yes’ must represent more than 50% of the total rateable value (RV) of all votes cast. If both these conditions are fulfilled, payment of the levy becomes mandatory for ALL eligible businesses, regardless of how they voted. The process is controlled under the watchful eye of the Electoral Commission to ensure the result is democratic.
Ballot results
View the results for:
- Ferndown and Uddens Business Improvement District ballot - Declaration of result - 25 July 2024
- Dorchester Business Improvement District ballot - Declaration of result - 29 June 2023
- Weymouth Business Improvement District ballot - Declaration of result - 31 March 2023
- Ferndown Business Improvement District ballot - Declaration of result - 12 July 2019
- Weymouth Business Improvement District ballot – Declaration of result 2018
- Dorchester Business Improvement District ballot – Declaration of result 2018