Businesses in Newport city centre have voted for another five-year term for the area's business improvement district.

The BID, known as Newport Now, is financed and governed by the businesses of the city centre and successful ballot means it will continue delivering projects and services until at least the end of March 2030.

The BID's continued tenure was voted for by 76.2 per cent of businesses who took part in the independently-run postal ballot which ran from October 31 to November 28. Turnout was 26 per cent of the eligible businesses.

To win another term, the BID had to secure both a majority of those businesses that voted by number and rateable value. In this vote 85.9 per cent of the combined rateable value of those who voted saying ‘Yes’.

A spokesman for Newport Now said that more businesses voted ‘Yes’ this year than in the last ballot in 2019, when the ‘Yes’ vote percentages were 64 per cent and 73 per cent respectively. Turnout was 22 per cent in 2019.

The results, released by Newport City Council which conducted the ballot, show that businesses with a combined rateable value of more than £3.6 million voted. 

The BID is governed by a voluntary board of directors, all of whom either own or run businesses in the city centre, and are either statutory or voluntary levy payers.

Zep Bellavia, chairman of the BID board, said: “The BID has taken the lead in tackling many of the issues facing the city centre. I’m delighted businesses have seen the worth and value of the BID and delivered a Yes vote for another five-year term.

“City centre businesses are passionate about Newport and it is the BID’s role to represent their interests and ensure their money is spent appropriately."

Projects delivered by Newport Now has delivered since 2015, include its day and night time ambassadors services, events such as the Christmas lights switch-on and Urban Beach, shopfront improvement grants, savings advisory service, and the gift card and city centre app.

BIDs are financed by a small statutory levy based on the rateable value of individual businesses. In Newport’s case, businesses will pay an annual levy of 1.5 per cent of the rateable value of their premises during the next five-year term. Only businesses with a rateable value of £5,000 a year or more pay the levy.