Moray Council will abstain on Elgin BID renewal
Moray Council will not back Elgin BID (Business Improvement District) in a coming vote to decide whether the business group will continue.
The surprise decision, made during today’s full meeting of Moray Council, came after both Conservative and SNP councillors went against officers’ recommendations.
In total, 16 of the 21 councillors present agreed that the council should abstain in a ballot next month to determine whether Elgin BID will operate for another five years.
Just three members backed the initial proposal which would have seen the council again vote in favour of the organisation.
Business owners are set to receive ballot papers by February 27, with all votes to be cast by April 18, 2025, in what will be the fourth such poll.
All businesses within the area covered by Elgin BID must pay a membership levy linked to their size, regardless of how they vote.
Councillor Jérémie Fernandes (Elgin South, SNP) said Moray Council would exercise an “unfair” influence over the ballot - since voting rights are decided by the total value of property belonging to each business owner.
The meeting heard that Moray Council’s properties have a total rateable value of £1,032,400.
Cllr Fernandes said the businesses he had spoken to were “divided” over whether the business group represented value for money.
“If we vote on it and we support BID, we are swinging the vote and whatever we say goes,” Cllr Fernandes said.
He added that some would feel that Moray Council is “imposing itself on businesses”.
The motion to abstain in the Elgin BID vote was proposed by Councillor Marc Macrae (Fochabers Lhanbryde, Conservative) and seconded by Cllr Fernandes.
However, Councillor Sandy Keith (Elgin North, Labour) proposed an amendment to agree the initial plans in full, seconded by Councillor John Divers (Elgin South, Labour).
Cllr Keith said the organisation’s work on reducing seagull numbers and improve street cleaning was evidence of its value to businesses and the town more generally.
“Councillor Fernandes might not have strong views about Elgin BID but I certainly do,” he said.
“We have a unified business voice with Elgin BID.
“I don’t think that this Council can be neutral about the economic development of our largest town of Elgin, especially at the moment, while we have the issue of the St Giles Centre.”
Cllr Macrae, who chairs the Economic Development and Services Committee, said some businesses feel their membership fees would be “better off in their bank accounts” amid cost of living pressures.
He added that it was a “decision for the businesses of Elgin to make”.
Councillor Amber Dunbar (Elgin North, Conservative) said: “Some don’t feel that they get that much out of it.
“I do question the council having votes, because you could argue we aren’t really business and we aren’t here to make profits.”
While Councillor Bridget Mustard (Heldon and Laich, Conservative) raised concerns that the council’s vote would have a “significant impact on the renewal ballot”.
Councillor John Divers (Elgin City South, Labour) has been the council’s representative on Elgin BID’s board since 2012.
He said he was “totally astonished” to hear Elgin councillors arguing against backing the organisation’s renewal and blamed recent difficulties at Elgin BID on “the bullying coming from outside”.
“We have a few keyboard warriors on the scene that are obviously being listened to by councillors, rather than talking to the actual BID,” he said.
“I have to say, I am totally disgusted by some of the points getting put forward by Elgin councillors.
“They are not supporting Elgin businesses.
“I feel quite exasperated about what I am hearing in this chamber today.
“As I said previously, the vast majority of businesses support Elgin BID.”
In his final summing up remarks, Cllr Fernandes said: “It’s not about not supporting businesses, it’s about letting them choose what they want without interfering with the process.”
Councillors Keith and Divers asked Cllr Robertson to ensure their dissent was noted.
The vote results:
Councillors that supported the motion were:
Councillor James Allan (Conservative, Heldon and Laich)
Councillor Peter Bloomfield (Conservative, Elgin South)
Councillor Tracy Colyer (Conservative, Keith and Cullen)
Councillor Theresa Coull (SNP, Keith and Cullen)
Councillor Amber Dunbar (Conservative, Elgin North)
Councillor Jeremie Fernandes (SNP, Elgin North)
Councillor Donald Gatt (Conservative, Keith and Cullen)
Councillor David Gordon (Conservative, Speyside Glenlivet)
Councillor Juli Harris (SNP, Speyside Glenlivet)
Councillor Scott Lawrence (SNP, Forres)
Councillor Elaine Kirby (Conservative, Elgin South)
Councillor Marc Macrae (Conservative, Fochabers Lhanbryde)
Councillor Paul McBain (Conservative, Forres)
Councillor Shona Morrison (SNP, Fochabers Lhanbryde)
Councillor Bridget Mustard (Conservative, Heldon and Laich)
Councillor Draeyk van der Horn (Green, Forres)
Councillors that supported the amendment were:
Councillor John Divers (Labour, Elgin South)
Councillor Sandy Keith (Labour, Elgin North)
Councillor Derek Ross (Independent, Speyside Glenlivet)
Abstaining councillors were:
Councillor Neil Cameron (SNP, Heldon and Laich)
Councillor Kathleen Robertson (Conservative, Forres)