BID’s divide business communities.

Unfortunately BID’s divide opinion and create resentment amongst voters quite easily (just as we have seen with the Brexit referendum), and it’s a shame they are divisive in this way when BID’s are meant to bring the business community together. The effects of such resentment in BID towns has been quite startling from verbal abuse to boycotting other businesses, which is uncalled for which ever someones voting persuasion.

September 2019 - The view from a Councillor in Bridgend seen to support the BID NO vote.

Between the summer of 2019 and early 2020 Taunton has it’s BID consultation, campaign and ballot phases, during which businesses with align themselves towards a YES or NO vote. Because a BID proposal by it’s very nature is set up to mobilise a YES vote, as has been seen in other BID proposal town’s NO campaigners are easily vilified.

We have even had Taunton businesses confidentially express their opposition to the BID to us, but not want to publicly declare their side for fear of being seen as “anti-Taunton” within a close business community. One has to remember that Taunton has already experienced 3 BID ballot’s in the past 12 years, and people’s experiences are not easily forgotten.

Even after a vote, which ever way it goes, there’s still likely to be some resentment of others amongst the business community. With YES and NO sides, is it really worth months months of resentment and counter argument, when all the businesses could properly unite and spend their time coming together in other ways?