STRANRAER VOTES ‘NO’ TO BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL

The Ballot held on Friday 28th August saw 161 qualifying ballot papers returned. For a ‘yes’ outcome to the ballot, it required over 50% of the voters to vote in favour and over 50% of the yes votes rateable values to be in favour of the BID also. Although the results showed rateable values as positive, over £1 million voted in favour and just over £550,000 votes against.

The overall result showed 83 businesses voting against the BID Proposals, and 78 for.

Chairman of the Economy, Environment and Infrastructure committee, Councillor Colin Smyth, said: “As far as the Council is concerned, the outcome of the vote does not change our commitment to regenerating and investing in Stranraer. Building the local economy is the number one priority of this council. The regeneration of our towns is an important part of this. The council is committed to working with the people and businesses of Stranraer to help make the town attractive, enterprising and the thriving centre that we know it can be.”

Results were as follows:

• The Return Rate in respect of ratepayers is 161 which equates to: 62.89%
• The aggregate rateable value of each eligible property in respect of which a person voted: £1,559,420
• The Return Rate in respect of rateable values equates to: 60.08%
• The total number of Votes cast in the Ballot: 167
• The total number of votes rejected as being invalid: 6
• The total number of valid votes: 161
• The total number of valid votes cast in favour of the question asked in the Ballot: 78
• The total number of valid votes cast against the question asked in the Ballot: 83

• The total rateable value of each relevant property in respect of which a person voting in the Ballot has voted yes: £1,006,150
• The total rateable value of each relevant property in respect of which a person voting in the Ballot has voted no: £553,270