Ballot result in on whether Eastbourne will become a BID town

It means traders and organisations will pay money into a pot – to be spent on enhancing the shopping experience, promoting Eastbourne’s independent shopping areas like Little Chelsea and Terminus, Cornfield, Langney and Bolton Roads; support and run events to help increase footfall to the town; introduce family friendly street ambassadors and a business crime warden to make the town safer and lobby all levels of government to ensure the needs of the town centre are heard.

Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce boss Christina Ewbank said, “Eastbourne businesses have voted overwhelmingly, by two to one, in favour of joining more than 300 UK towns and cities in creating a Business Improvement District in our beautiful town. In total, 232 votes were cast, with 68 per cent backing the plans to invest £300,000 a year into the town centre. The Eastbourne BID is a business-led, business-funded initiative which has been developed over four years to regenerate our town centre, especially the independent areas beyond The Beacon.

“This investment by local businesses will make a huge difference to the town and will ensure real changes are made. These changes won’t happen overnight, but we will begin to make the town centre look really special. From the seafront end of Terminus Road all the way past the train station, through Little Chelsea, Gildredge Road, Cornfield Road and Terrace, Bolton Road, Langney Road, Commercial Road and all the roads in between.”

The chair of Eastbourne BID Shoes Simes said, “A huge thank you to everyone who voted “yes” and backed our plans. My thanks to the steering group who have worked so hard over the past four years, giving their time freely to produce such a positive plan developed after much consultation with the businesses in the BID area. Thank you all again for your support. Now the real work begins.”

Eastbourne council leader David Tutt said, “This is great news for Eastbourne, and more specifically for the all-important town centre shops and restaurants.”

The BID steering committee has thanked the council for its support and chief executive Rob Cottrill, MP Stephen Lloyd who asked businesses to support the BID application and especially all those who voted yes in “such large numbers” during the ballot, which ran throughout July.

Christina Ewbank said, “To all the businesses who attended drop in events and consultation meetings and those who communicated the BID on Facebook and Twitter. Their impact on social media made all the difference.”