Moray Council set to back Elgin BID in ballot

Moray Council looks set to give its backing for a further five years to the management company that runs Elgin town centre.

Later this year Elgin BID will be the subject of a ballot amongst its membership – namely the businesses and groups that inhabit the town centre.

Amongst that list of members is the council, which at a meeting earlier today, declared that it would lend its support when the time came.

Elgin BID was set up after winning an initial ballot in 2009.

It then went on to be granted two more five-year periods following subsequent ballots in 2014 and 2019.

Businesses and groups pay it an annual levy, which is weighted to take their size into account.

In return Elgin BID organises various initiatives to try increase footfall and improve the trading environment.

At today's meeting of the economic development committee councillor Paul McBain (Forres, Conservative) put forward a motion to delay making a decision until further details were supplied about the proposed levy.

However this was defeated by a vote of eight councillors to six.

The provisional date for the announcement of the ballot results is November 29.

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