AN Okehampton businessman has raised strong objections to the proposed BID scheme for the town.

George Mills has run PG Conversions, a steel fabricator based in the Exeter Road Industrial Estate, for 12 years.

Despite having plenty of work, he has had financial strain put on him in the past five years by a 75% increase in business rates and other rising costs. Six of his trading neighbours have gone out of business in the past three years.

Mr Mills objects to the proposed Business Improvement District (BID) scheme — a partnership between a local authority and the local business community to develop projects and services that will benefit the trading economy within a set area. It is funded by a levy on the businesses within the BID boundary, but is dependent on support from at least 75% of those businesses.

The proposed Okehampton BID area runs from the Exeter Road Industrial Estate to the opposite end of town. It also aims to include the Okehampton Hamlets and businesses near to the town. Around 400 businesses would fall into the BID zone.

Mr Mills feels it would be an additional charge for services that would not benefit his specialist business on the edge of town.

In a letter to the Times, he said: 'I strongly object to being charged an at present undisclosed sum for services which will not help my business at all. To my mind, any amount would be the thin end of the wedge and would soon be increased.

'It is proposed that the BID scheme will go ahead if more than 75 per cent of businesses affected vote in favour, but this will be held in a secret ballot so no one will know the actual results. I feel this is wrong.

'I do my own advertising as I see fit, for example I sponsor the local rugby club, because this puts something good back into the community.

'I also pay for my own parking spaces for my customers, and I negotiate my own discounts with suppliers of my choice. The service I provide is highly specialised, therefore no-one in the BID team would understand my needs and would not be able to help me in any way.'

Kay Bickley, a member of the BID team, said: 'The BID company set up to carry out the BID will determine the levy. The amount paid by businesses will be dependent on the business plan put forward by the BID, which is the whole purpose of the process that will take place over the next eleven months.

'Nothing is pre-determined, and the whole point of the process is that businesses and business people can get involved now, share their opinions, shape the business plan, and express what they think would help them the most.

'Working collaboratively, things could be done to make a big difference to the town and to businesses here.

'I encourage all business people of the town to show up to the public meetings in March and later in the year, and share your opinions. The plan is for the businesses of the town and to support them, so those voices need to be heard.

'The key word is collaboration. We need to think together to do the best for Okehampton.'

Representatives of the BID team met Okehampton Town Council last week, and will continue to hold meetings with several local organisatons to explain the intricacies of the BID before the first open meeting in March.