Results
The votes have been counted and we’re thrilled to say it’s a YES!
Viva Port Talbot will be sticking around for five more years thanks to the support of our town centre businesses! Voting closed at 5pm on Thursday 12th December 2024, and the final results are 77% yes by number and 90% yes by rateable value. You can find the full details of the result on the Neath Port Talbot Council website here.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone that voted to continue our work – we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved so far and it’s great to have the support of our businesses behind us. This result means that we’ll be continuing our programme of events and initiatives in Port Talbot town centre until at least 2030, and we have more plans up our sleeve too.
Below is an archive of this page from before the ballot closed. All the information on our proposals for our second term, how the ballot worked, and eligibility to vote are detailed below. If you have any questions, please do get in touch.
Introduction
Viva Port Talbot is led by businesses in Port Talbot town centre who want to improve the area as a place to work and visit. We are seeking another five-year term for the BID, which would enable us to continue our work in our town centre; our amazing town is still facing huge challenges, and, with your backing, we will continue to face those challenges head on.
In that vein, BID levy-paying businesses in Port Talbot town centre will soon be asked to vote on whether they would like Viva Port Talbot to continue our work until 2030.
This page lays out all the details of the renewal ballot, including links to download our 2025-2030 proposal, BID summary arrangements, FAQs, and more.
Documents
On Thursday 31st October 2024, all eligible businesses will be sent a notice of ballot in the post. This notice will include a summary of BID arrangements and a renewal ballot proposal document. The proposal details everything that we’ve achieved in the past five years, as well as what we plan to do should we receive a second term. There is also lots of information on the BID works, how much you will be liable to pay, and how the BID levy is spent.
You can download the renewal ballot proposal and the summary of BID arrangements through the links below. Welsh copies of the renewal ballot proposal are available upon request.
How does the BID renewal ballot work?
Viva Port Talbot can only be re-established after a successful ballot vote of eligible businesses in Port Talbot town centre.
On Thursday 14th November 2024, all eligible businesses within the BID boundary will receive a ballot paper in the post at their business address. You will have 28 days to cast your vote. Voting closes on Thursday 12th December at 5pm.
For Viva Port Talbot to be re-established, the ballot must pass on both of the following counts:
- A simple majority of those voting must be in favour
- The votes of those in favour must represent more than 50% of the total rateable value of the properties that vote
The BID was established following a successful ballot in November 2019 that adhered to the same rules.
If you have any questions about how the renewal ballot works, please get in touch.
Key dates
Notification of ballot: Thursday 31st October 2024
Business owners will receive a letter to their local address to let them know about the upcoming ballot, with a hard copy of our proposal document and BID arrangements included. Give them a good read through, and let us know if you have any questions.
Ballot opens: Thursday 14th November 2024
Business owners will receive their ballot papers in the post and can begin casting their votes. You have four weeks to get your vote filled in and returned in the post. There will be a pre-paid envelope included for you to use to return your ballot paper.
Ballot closes: Thursday 12th December 2024 at 5pm
Voting closes at 5pm on Thursday 12th December; any ballot papers received after this time will not be counted. There will be a ballot box available on the last day of voting in the reception of Port Talbot Civic Centre to ensure that your vote arrives with Electoral Services on time.
Result announced: Friday 13th December 2024 (subject to confirmation)
We expect the results to be counted and confirmed on Friday 13th December. We will make an announcement of the result on our social media and publish the declaration on our website as soon as we receive it.
Eligibility to vote
If you’re unsure whether your business is included in the BID or not, get in touch and we can let you know.
Businesses that weren’t part of the BID before may have seen their rateable value increase above the £5,000 threshold, and so will be eligible to vote and pay the BID levy for the second term. The opposite also applies: businesses that were eligible in the first term may have seen their rateable value decrease below £5,000, and so will not be part of the BID this time around and will not be eligible to vote.
Our BID boundary has changed to remove Talbot Road and Water Street, but has not extended to include any other areas.
Proxy votes
If you are unavailable to cast your vote, you can appoint a proxy to receive your ballot papers and vote for you. You have until Monday 2nd December to nominate a proxy to cast your vote on your behalf. Please contact us as soon as possible to arrange this.
Replacement ballot papers
If you lose your ballot paper and need a replacement, please contact us urgently. Replacement ballot papers can be sent out from Friday 6th December.
FAQ
What is a Business Improvement District?
A Business Improvement District (BID) is a business-led and -funded partnership where businesses within a defined area invest money together to make the improvements that they identify for their trading environment.
BIDs are established through a ballot in which businesses vote on a BID proposal for their area. If the ballot is successful, then a BID company is set up to manage and operate the BID – this is an independent, non-profit organisation run by and for BID members. Each BID is funded through its own discrete BID levy, which is a small percentage of a business’ rateable value.
Viva Port Talbot BID went to its first ballot in November 2019 and secured a majority YES vote. Viva Port Talbot officially began operating on 1st April 2020.
How is Viva Port Talbot funded?
Viva Port Talbot will be funded by a 1.5% levy on the rateable value of hereditaments (business units) within the defined BID boundary that have a rateable value of £5,000 or more, as of the notice of ballot date (31st October 2024). Businesses with a rateable value below £5,000 are not eligible to vote and are exempt from paying the levy, although they can contribute voluntarily.
This levy raises a collective pot of £318,000 that is invested into the town centre over the BID’s five-year term.
| Total rateable value | Total yearly income | Total five-year income | Number of contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| £4,240,100.00 | £63,601.50 | £318,008.00 | 198 |
The BID levy is mandatory for all eligible hereditaments within the BID area; this includes those owned by Neath Port Talbot Council and other public bodies.
How is the levy collected?
The BID levy is collected on an annual basis; Viva Port Talbot commissions the Council to collect the levy on our behalf as a separate bill. The levy will be fixed for five years based on the rateable values as of 31st October 2024.
Where is the money spent?
BID funds can only be spent to improve the area in which they are raised – Viva Port Talbot only invests here in Port Talbot town centre. Viva Port Talbot has a baseline agreement with the Council which details the services that the Council currently delivers. This baseline agreement ensures that all BID services are in addition to Local Authority services.
How is the BID governed?
Viva Port Talbot was established in April 2020 following a successful BID ballot in November 2019. It is an independent, not-for profit company. It is a transparent body open to scrutiny from its levy payers and the community in which it operates, with regularly updated information about income and expenditure available to all members of the BID.
Viva Port Talbot is led by the private sector. A board of voluntary directors representing a cross-section of businesses in Port Talbot town centre meet to oversee projects in the programme’s four main strands. A part-time BID manager and a part-time project co-ordinator deliver the programme, overseen by the board.
Any BID member can apply to join the board of directors at any time. The makeup of the board is representative of the town centre, and includes a cross section of stakeholders from all sectors and sizes. All directors are volunteers and are not paid to take on the role. Board meetings take place roughly once every six weeks, and meeting minutes are uploaded to the Viva Port Talbot website. The Viva Port Talbot AGM takes place in September.
How long does the BID last?
The BID runs for a term of five years. If the renewal ballot is successful, this will ensure guaranteed investment in Port Talbot town centre until 2030, when another renewal ballot would take place.
How much am I liable to pay?
The levy rate for Viva Port Talbot’s first term was fixed at 1.25% throughout the five years. For the next term, we have made the difficult decision to increase this rate to 1.5% due to the reduction in rateable values across the town centre. The increase means that our annual levy total will be approximately the same as it was for the first five years. If the rate had been kept at the original 1.25%, Viva Port Talbot would have seen an annual deficit of £10,000, which means we would not have been able to maintain, let alone increase, our programme. This slight increase means that we will be able to continue to provide the services that the town centre has come to rely on and expect.
You can figure out your new annual levy payment by multiplying your rateable value by 0.015. Some examples are laid out below.
| Rateable value | Yearly | Monthly | Weekly | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £7,500 | £112.50 | £9.38 | £2.16 | £0.31 |
| £15,000 | £225 | £18.75 | £4.33 | £0.62 |
| £25,000 | £375 | £31.25 | £7.21 | £1.03 |
Viva Port Talbot 