The lies BID is peddling is why you can't believe what's in the business plan!
Reading the Minehead BID Business Plan we might easily be drawn into thinking BID has done a great job and that all Minehead businesses are happy and want to do it again - but we know that in reality this is far from the truth!
Looking back at the 2018 business plan we were clearly hoodwinked with the lies they wrote then, and this danger is here again. So let’s address one of the biggest mistruths of their reballot campaign; the claim they have levered £135,000 in additional funds, money that would not have been secured and will have gone elsewhere if it had not been for BID.
This claim really does epitomise BID deceit, it’s pure lies and if they can make a false claim like this, just imagine what else they have lied about to you in the business plan. It’s a clear example of why you can’t trust what is written in the business plan.
Here’s what has been said by BID:
“An additional sum of £135,000 was secured by the BID from the government to help our traders - funds that would have gone elsewhere had it not been for BID.” WSFP article 25/3/23.
“We successfully levered in £135k from other sources that equates to over a year’s levy income, money that simply would not have been secured without facilitation from Minehead BID.” Business Plan p2.
“During the first term Minehead BID successfully levered in £135k of additional funding, representing more than one year’s levy income, demonstrating the BID’s exceptional track record of securing additional funding to complement levy income.” Business Plan p18.
Here is the evidence of our BID lies claim:
We know £125,000 of that came from SWT Council; £100,000 from the Emergency Town Centre Recovery Fund, and £25,000 from European Regional Development Welcome Back Funds. This is money that the Council also gave proportional amounts to other towns without BIDs like Taunton etc.
So Minehead would have still got £125,000 without a BID, the Council simply gave it to BID to be custodians of the money to allocate the funds locally, instead of for example the Chamber of Trade. The other towns got money and Minehead would have too without even asking, and certainly without a BID.
See the SWT Council minutes re the £100,000 here.
Also, in June 2020 the BID was also paid £5,321.80 by the Department for Communities and Local Government as COVID support for BID areas and this money was paid over to the Minehead BID Company Ltd as instructed by DCLG. So yes, we wouldn’t have got this money without a BID, but this money as a % of levies was given to all BIDs to help make up the balance of lower levy collection rates due to COVID.
So as you can see, Minehead BID were literally thrown most of the money, so how they claim they have an "exceptional track record of securing additional funding" to the tune of £135,000 really is unbelievable – just like their business plan!
P.S. Remember that the Councils are complicit in this lies being spun to voters, Councillors either on the BID Board or acting as ‘Advisors’ to the Board will have seen and given their blessing to the business plan. Another example of how both the BID and Councils are lying partners in crime, and of the contempt towards businesses these organisations are showing in order to try and force in the BID tax.