Crieff businesses have voted ‘no’ to the town continuing as a Business Improvement District (BID).
Votes in the renewal ballot for a further five-year term for Crieff Succeeds, which manages the BID, were counted on Friday last week.
With a narrow margin, 80 businesses voted ‘no’ to the continuation and 74 voted ‘yes’.
The aggregate of the rateable values of the relevant properties in support of Crieff Succeeds was £3,033,850 (82.18 per cent) as opposed to £658,050 (17.82 per cent) not in favour of renewing the term. The turnout was 55.21 per cent.
For the project to continue, at least 25 per cent of businesses had to vote in the ballot; 50 per cent of the votes cast had to be in favour, and the combined rateable value of those votes had to be greater than the combined rateable value of the votes against.
As only two of the three necessary criteria required were satisfied, the BID will not be renewed.
Graham Donaldson, of local business Gordon and Durward, is chair of the Crieff Succeeds board of directors, which is made up of local business people and two elected Perth and Kinross Council ward members for Strathearn.
He described the result as “a sad day for Crieff”.
He told the PA’s sister paper, the Strathearn Herald: “I am very disappointed in the ballot result. Crieff will now lose so much.
“[There will be] no new projects such as the Cowches, Fire and Folklore and Santa’s Post Office, along with the loss of our websites Visit Crieff and Crieff Town Page, and the end of the Crieff Card.
“The public toilets in the Square will almost certainly close in October. The marquee in the square, along with all the banners in the town, will come down.
“All the projects that were lined-up for the next five years will no longer take place. A sad day indeed.”
The result also means Crieff’s town centre manager, David McCann, will lose his job.
Mr Donaldson continued: “We will also lose our manager who has been a huge benefit to the whole town.
“I can only praise David for all his hard work – he has been a breath of fresh air.
“I would like to thank everyone who supported all our projects over the past few years, and particularly thank for all their hard work the board of directors and volunteers who all gave of their time freely.”
Mr McCann said: “I am deeply saddened at the result, for all the things that will now stop, and all the exciting and innovative projects planned that will not now happen.
“However, I do of course fully respect the outcome and am confident that Crieff has the resilience and the drive to ensure that economic prosperity and success will come to the town.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Crieff Succeeds, particularly delivering both the Crieff Cowches and Santa’s Post Office projects and working with the many amazingly talented local artists, as well as the many other initiatives and successes we have had.
“I also am grateful to everyone in the Crieff community who I have had the enormous pleasure of working and collaborating with, all the many forward-thinking, driven and energetic businesses who I have met and worked with and, in particular, the Crieff Succeeds board of directors who have given their time, support and knowledge freely and with endless enthusiasm.”
