Carmarthenshire businesses in court over non payment of BID Levy

A large number of businesses in Carmarthenshire have been scheduled for a court appearance for non payment of the BID levy. We contacted Carmarthenshire County Council having seen the listings at court for numerous businesses and asked if it was an anomaly.

Director of Corporate Services Chris Moore said: ” I can confirm the schedule of Court appearances is at level that we would expect, due to the court awarding liability orders for non-payment of the BID Levy in Carmarthen in respect of some premises, these liability orders were listed for a previous court appearance but an adjournment was made for a number of the liable parties who’s legal representative was not able to attend court because of annual leave. There are 432 members of Carmarthen BID and of these 400 have either paid the levy or in the process of paying of the levy.”

There is a campaign against BID with some claiming that it was forced in by councillors. The website ‘Against BID’ claims that the Carmarthen BID was controversially established in early 2020, forced in by Council votes and without a proper consultation process with the businesses. A statement on the site says: “Add to this a BID Manager & Board failing to deliver and showing contempt for their levy paying businesses during covid times, then we have a very unhappy BID ready to be kicked out!”

The BID is a body, funded by its members, which tries to improve a commercial area with local companies paying a percentage of their rateable value every year. The money can then be used  for improving the the business area.

Carmarthenshire Council is not involved with the running of Carmarthen BID. The authority acts as the collection agent for the levy paid or owed by businesses. The council acts under instruction from a company called Carmarthen Town Bid Community Interest Company, which was set up in October, 2020.

The company has 8 officers listed as:
DAVIES, Delyth Jane – Director
DAVIES, Matthew James – Director
HARRIS, Gayle – Director
KIRBY, Christian Alexander – Director
KIRKHAM, Claire Alison – Director
NASH, John – Director
RAVEN, Paul – Director
REID, George – Director

The four original directors who established the CIC company were George Reid John Nash Paul Raven and Christine Bethan Davies-Lamble.