The owner of a popular bar and restaurant in Forres has hit out at the Moray Speyside TBID for including his business premises in a levy scheme where he would be forced to pay even if he didn’t want to take part in it.
Gordon Brailsford from the Mosset Tavern said he’s already facing a £30,000 increase in costs after budget increases on National Insurance, and this adds another financial blow.
Visit Moray Speyside is a ‘tourism business improvement district’, known as a TBID, and is funded by the payments it receives from businesses which meet the criteria to vote. If it receives the required number of votes, then all eligible businesses have to pay a levy which is a set percentage of the rateable value. It is coming to the end of its first term and hopes to be re-elected for the next five years.
The Mosset Tavern has been involuntarily included in the list of businesses that are eligible.
If the business owner votes ‘no’, or doesn’t vote at all, it’s legally bound to pay, and this is enforced by sheriff’s warrants in cases of non-payment.
Around 50 new businesses have been added to the list of eligibility, which now includes food and drink businesses if they are licensed.
Gordon was interviewed today by STV after making his views known on Facebook.
He said: “I’ve voted no. This is the first time we’ve had to pay now that it includes licensed food premises.”
‘Extortionate, draconian, diabolical’
“I absolutely agree there should be a voice for Moray but not one that’s extortionate and enforced draconianly should the vote go ahead and at a time that businesses can ill afford it.
“Moray is rich in quality operators that make it a vibrant region through reviews and referrals.
“The amount of businesses that don’t know this BID operates until a sheriff officer turns up for the levies collected by Moray Council is diabolical.
“My business has to find savings of around £30k on the first of April to meet the new NI threshold, this levy is adding if not compounding the perfect storm.”
Visit Moray Speyside is currently campaigning for its second term which starts on 1 April. but only if it gets the required votes.
Nobody from Visit Moray Speyside was available to comment today.
However, in its business plan and recent press articles, the organisation says, if voted in, it hopes to attract a million visitors to Moray by 2027 and increase the economic impact to £200 million, up from 877,000 and £186m, respectively in 2023.
A splinter group comprised of local tourism businesses has also been formed to step in if the organisation is voted out.
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I agree that business’s should not have to pay this extra tax . I myself have a business in Nairn where we have to pay this unwanted tax. I feel it doesn’t benefit my business all the seam to do is 2 small markets a year which used to be done before bid were around anyway . Vote no everyone it’s just an other tax on our business. I live in forres and feel the community have always managed to run town markets vintage car shows and many other events without putting an extra tax on business
Vote them out. No business nor their clients should have to pay any spurious hidden tax
Really can’t see what Visit Moray Speyside has done for the area. I think the person in charge is out of her depth and shouldn’t have been appointed in the first place. Don’t get me started on Nairn BID. A couple of events, and a few amateurish
posts. They haven’t done anything worthwhile for our local businesses. Vote NO to BIDS!