Ipswich has got the go ahead to become a Business Improvement District (BID), opening the door to millions of pounds of extra investment.
Businesses voted overwhelmingly to approve the five-year BID scheme, which starts next April (2007) and will see street rangers, free car parking and park & ride once a month, four major marketing campaigns a year, extra safety and cleaning measures. Nearly 50% of eligible businesses voted, with 228 in favour, a 66% majority. The levy businesses will pay will be collected by the Council, whose election staff took charge of the count.
Councillor Richard Atkins, the Borough's Planning & Economic Development portfolio-holder, said: "This is fantastic news which will enable Ipswich to develop further and to compete more effectively with other regional centres. It was encouraging to see a turn-out of 49% and such a big majority of those in favour."