Just 38 businesses out of over 600 polled over whether the Yorkshire Coast Business Improvement District should continue, voted in favour, while 189 voted against. The BID project was mired in controversy from the beginning. Around 1,300 businesses from Staithes to Spurn Point had to pay a mandatory levy to the BID, after a 2018 ballot in favour was passed with a turnout of just 29 per cent.
” Subpostmaster Mr Kay added: “It is an amazing result – the people have spoken. There was no benefit for business. People were given a choice and they made their decision.” In England and Wales, BIDs were introduced through the Local Government Act 2003, and subsequent regulations in 2004. There are now 335 in the UK and Ireland, involving 132,962 businesses. Coastal businesses were faced with paying £3.