The ballot to renew Dorking’s Business Improvement District (BID) closed on Monday 1st November 2022 at 5:00pm.

The results have now been independently counted and verified with the result being a resounding ‘yes’*. Over 2/3rd of voters supported Dorking Town Partnership’s business plan proposals published in August/September for the new five-year BID term. See the results here.

Dorking Town Partnership working with Mole Valley District Council (the BID levy collectors) now have to finalise the previous 5-year operation and commence work on the delivery programme for the next 5-year period.

In the meantime, if you need more information please Contact Us at any time.

Many thanks,

Andrew Fuller, Chair, Dorking Town Partnership,
Owner of SC Fullers

*ballot results: by numerical vote 67%, by rateable value vote 84%

Dorking Town Partnership is an organisation whose aim is to market and promote our town centre and help keep it a safe, clean and friendly environment so that customers will want to visit, and businesses have the chance to prosper in. Over the last 5 years, it has used the Business Improvement District mechanism to do this and has become an increasingly important element of the business community over that time. It has played an essential part in raising awareness of the town and its offering, improving the environment and attracting investment.

Working in collaboration with a range of other partners the Board of Directors (drawn from local business representatives who work on a voluntary basis) have, over the last 5 years, diligently delivered the business plan projects.

Your first term BID levy raised over £200,000 each year to deliver the projects that you, the businesses voted for. When this is coupled with additional income, it totalled a spend of over £1M in 5 years.

I became Chair and have invested my time, energy and passion into making Dorking Town Centre a vibrant and prosperous place to work, live and visit. I have seen it not only achieve and deliver the benefits you wanted, but have been astounded at the adaptability and expertise in supporting businesses throughout these testing times.

The last decade has seen towns across the UK experiencing massive changes as peoples’ shopping habits move and their choices change. This has been exacerbated further by the pandemic and having to meet the unprecedented challenges that this has brought. In this undeniably tough trading environment Dorking must continue to adapt, recover and grow in order to thrive.

This business plan will show you that we will continue to do the things we do best and for which you will hopefully give us a mandate again, but we also know that this time round, it is going to take something more to ensure that we bring people back to our town centre and keep them coming.

Together, we have achieved a lot and it seems to me that, more than ever, the importance of a successful town centre is paramount. In that respect the work of a BID becomes even more vital.

I am now asking you once again, to consider this business plan and vote YES for another five years of the BID. It is only by you voting YES for a second term that we can continue to make sure that our town centre not only recovers but leads the way. Ballot papers will be despatched on 29 September 2022 and you will have until 31 October 2022 to cast your vote.

Thank you for taking the time to read our business plan for the new Business Improvement District (BID) term and I hope you will find it informative, interesting and above all inspiring and worthy of your support.

Andrew Fuller, Chair, Dorking Town Partnership
Owner of SC Fullers