COUNCILLORS have thrown out a proposal to ask the borough council to only use one vote in the upcoming Andover BID re-ballot.

A motion was debated at a meeting of Andover Town Council on Wednesday, September 20, which would have seen a letter written to Test Valley Borough Council asking it to only cast one vote during the re-ballot on Thursday, November 2.

Andover BID was established in 2019 for a five-year term, which will expire on March 31, next year. The BID vote in 2019 passed 70 to 67 in the ballot. 

Now, town councillors have expressed concerns about the number of votes the borough council would have in the upcoming re-ballot, as the borough authority manages a number of the buildings in the town centre and therefore has more than one vote.

The motion was put forward by Cllr Stu Waue, who said: "My reasoning for putting this forward is there was much controversy that surrounded the previous BID vote because people were talking about how many votes Test Valley could use.

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"I would rather not say that I am either pro or anti-BID, but I am all for transparency and as far as I'm concerned Test Valley Borough Council is not a business, it is a local authority, funded by taxpayers for the benefit of residents. 

"The BID is a business improvement district and as such, it should be down to the businesses to decide whether their investment over the last five years justifies them renewing it."

Cllr Steven Hardstaff said: "The BID is a great idea as it makes the bigger companies on the high street pay into a pot that is used locally. I'm for the BID, but I think the benefit of what the BID is trying to deliver is completely washed away by the fact that TVBC has many votes that can sway the decision.

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"That is why personally we should support the transparency of TVBC and its right to have multiple votes. I think the borough council having multiple votes destroys the good work of what the BID is aiming to achieve."

However, not all councillors deemed it a good idea to petition the borough council. 

Cllr Mark Farren said: "I really don't see that the town council has any say or place in this matter, and I think that the concerns raised could be the concerns of individuals and not those of the council."

Cllr Katherine Bird added: "I think unless you have a business in the town centre, in which case you'll have a vote anyway, it isn't actually any of our business. I've worked with the BID on a lot of things, and what I would say is I fully support the positivity that they have brought to the town centre. I don't think it is up to us to decide or comment on who and who should not be able to vote."

A recorded vote took place, with councillors voting against asking Test Valley Borough Council to only use one BID vote in the upcoming re-ballot.

Following the meeting Shelley Coburn, from Andover BID, said: "It was a positive and productive discussion, and we greatly appreciated the town councillors' objective comments. We found it encouraging that the town council does not deem this course of action necessary at this time.  For our town to flourish, it is imperative that each of us plays an active role.

"When businesses unite, we can effectively address the challenges that lie ahead for our community. The BID is looking forward to the opportunity to expand its services and support for businesses, regardless of their size. We are committed to continuing this mission for an additional five years, further contributing to the growth and well-being of our town."