DISCOUNTED parking days, street theatre and an enhanced river walk were among a number of ideas to improve Tavistock's town centre, presented at the first Business Improvement District (BID) consultation meeting last week.

Nigel Eadie, chair of Tavistock Chamber of Commerce, presented a number of ideas of possible projects that could be funded to entice visitors into the town if business owners voted for the BID scheme.

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 of a set area, funded by a levy on the businesses.

The money is collected by the borough council and put into a ring-fenced account.

The BID idea is being spearheaded by Tavistock Chamber of Commerce.

The proposed ideas included advertising boards to promote forthcoming events, entertainment on Bedford Square or elsewhere in the town such as jugglers or street theatre, parking improvements such as free or discounted parking days, recycling bins and initiatives for the town, enhancing the river walk, physical improvements to the town and a number of other possible ideas.

Business owners were asked to select their preferred ideas and submit their own ideas for projects on the BID website over the next few weeks.

If the BID is voted for, businesses will pay a yearly levy of 1.5% of its rateable value, which is put into a ring-fenced account and used to pay for the projects which businesses believe will be most beneficial to enhance the town.

Around 60 people attended the meeting, which explained what a BID was, how it works, how a BID would affect businesses and the town and gave example ideas of what could be done.

At the meeting Mr Eadie said: 'When the VAT goes up by 2.5% it will be more difficult on the high street, and with change brings more difficult challenges.

'The BID was the best thing we could come up with — us doing nothing would be very fool-hardy.

'None of us are short of ideas, but we are short of cash to make it happen. This programme generates that cash.'

It is hoped that the amount raised by the BID will be matched by various grants, generating more money for the agreed projects.

Former chief economic officer for West Devon Borough Council Tim Beavon, who will be responsible for obtaining the grants, said it was now down to the business owners to rank the proposed ideas and to suggest their own ideas, the most popular of which will be put into a five-year plan for businesses to vote on whether to go ahead with the BID or not.

He said: 'Sometime over the next couple of months we will try to put together the business plan and get feedback on it.

'Then we will adjust the plan according to the feedback given before the ballots are sent out.

'Maybe by Christmas we will have a first draft of the plan and June would be a reasonable time scale for the ballot, but it all depends on how long the process takes.'

For the BID to be put in place, a 51% 'yes' vote is needed.