IN little more than a month, city centre businesses will be asked to vote on proposals by the Winchester City Centre Partnership to designate the central area as a Business Improvement District.

The partnership has asked Winchester City Council to hold a ballot of all non-domestic rate-payers in the proposed BID area, which includes the central shopping zone and parts of the main routes into the city centre.

The council is now writing to premises affected, to give details of the vote. Ballot papers will be sent to non-domestic addresses within the BID area at the end of June and the ballot will close at 5pm on Thursday, July 26.

Partnership chairman, Jeremy France, said a vote for the BID was "a vote for a cleaner, safer and better-promoted city".

"The trading environment is in the hands of the business community," he said.

"To ignore the ballot is to jeopardise the future performance of your business. Through the ballot we have the opportunity to bring about positive change and make the improvements that local businesses require."

"The investment by businesses through the proposed levy of 1.5 per cent on rateable value will give rise to many improvements, including graffiti clean-up, increased city centre policing, better Christmas lights and year-round marketing initiatives to promote Winchester.

"If you have not yet looked at the BID proposals, now is the time to act."

The city centre partnership's proposals have been developed with the support of Winchester City Council and North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Leader of Winchester City Council, Cllr George Beckett, said: "The Business Improvement District is a positive step forward for managing the city centre for the benefit of residents and the business community. We're pleased to be part of the process and offer our full support to the principle."

The BID proposals, which represent a planned new investment of £2m for city centre improvements over five years, may be viewed at www. wincity.uk.com/bid or at the offices of the Winchester City Centre Partnership.

Printed copies are available on request on 01962 850390.