A ROW has erupted after it emerged Ceredigion County Council had 14 votes in a ballet of Aberystwyth businesses which resulted in the go-ahead for the introduction of a controversial self-help tax.

The Business Improvement District (BID) scheme will see over 400 businesses face a levy on their business rates to pay for improvements in the town centre to help boost trade.

The Ceredigion council-backed scheme will go ahead despite only 97 premises owners voting in favour and 84 against.

It has now been revealed that the 14 votes cast by Ceredigion Council for each of its premises in the town proved the difference between a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ vote.

Now all businesses in the BID zone will have to pay an extra charge equal to 1.25 per cent of their business rates that will be paid into an improvements fund, raising around £700,000 over the next five years.

The number of votes cast by the council has left angry traders saying the ballot was “skewed” by the council’s involvement.

Mario Tedaldi, of the Penguin Cafe, led businesses on a ‘no’ vote and called the ballot a “joke” and a “farce”.

“The council was so confident of a ‘yes’ vote that they said 80 per cent of businesses approved,” he said.

“It turned out to be 54 per cent and now we learn that 14 of those votes were from the council itself.

“It makes the whole thing a joke."

The outcome was welcomed by some traders and by Ceredigion Council who have said it will lead to improvements in the town centre.

Cllr Gareth Lloyd, Ceredigion council’s Cabinet member for economic and community development, said: “By voting in favour of the BID, Aberystwyth business owners have demonstrated their appetite to make changes locally on the issues that are of importance to them and, in so doing, to improve the town centre."

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