Fifty-three businesses in Carmarthen are calling for a controversial initiative designed to help them to be scrapped after they received demands for payments even though they don't want to be a part of the scheme.
The town’s Business Improvement District (BID) was set up in 2020. It’s a body, funded by its members, which tries to improve a commercial area, in this case Carmarthen town centre - you can keep up to date with the latest Carmarthenshire news by signing up to the local newsletter here.
The idea behind such schemes is that local companies pay a percentage of their rateable value every year which then creates a pot of money that BID management can spend on improving the profile and look of the business area. The idea for the scheme was first mooted in 2017 and more than 130 businesses later took part in a vote, with 65% of those balloted voting in favour of setting up Carmarthen BID.
