BOURNEMOUTH Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) was unable to collect nearly 40 per cent of its levy from traders during the financial year in which the pandemic struck.

But the BID says a “partnership" approach with businesses has since seen it bring in much of the outstanding money.

The BID’s latest accounts, for the year ending June 2021, say the maximum levy it could have collected that year was £653,585. But as of June 2021, its collection rate stood at 62.74 per cent.

In his annual report, BID chairman Martin Davies said: “The collection rate is lower than the usual 96 per cent due to the coronavirus pandemic and various lockdowns but the chasing for the outstanding levy, which was delayed due to the lockdown, is now being carried out.”

The BID’s chief operating officer, Paul Kinvig, told the Daily Echo the collection rate for 2020-21 had improved since the accounts were closed and was probably now 85-90 per cent.

BIDs are not allowed to waive the levy, but the Town Centre BID has agreed payment plans with businesses and avoided taking them to court.

“We took the view that we would take a partnership and collaborative approach with the levy payers, understanding what they were going through,” said Mr Kinvig.

The BID is funded through a 1.5 per cent levy on the rateable value of 700 eligible businesses.

The chairman’s report outlined the support given to businesses during the pandemic.

Lockdowns scuppered many of the events planned for 2020, including the popular Christmas Tree Wonderland, but it supported a “reduced range of Christmas installations” in partnership with BCP Council.

Levy payers were given free stalls in outdoor markets, while BID initiatives included “queue here” stickers when shops reopened, signs reminding people to wear masks, window vinyls and promotional campaigns. The BID also promoted the town centre gift card.

The report said the BID did a deep clean of pavements, including steam cleaning and removing chewing gum, during the lockdown in April and May 2021.

It also cleaned and painted much of the town’s infrastructure during the pandemic, including lampposts and bollards. It funded all the town’s flower pedestals and hanging baskets as a one-off, as the council had not funded them.

The BID spent a net £308,776 instead of the expected £480,934.

The town centre rangers employed by the BID were furloughed during lockdown and the BID received £31,22 from the coronavirus job retention scheme.

The BID, set up in 2012, recently won a ballot giving it a mandate for a third five-year term. The poll saw 75.6 per cent of voting businesses endorse the BID, with a turnout of 32.1 per cent.