A keenly-awaited Letter to the Editor from HERO SUMNER, Chair of the Yorkshire Coast Levy Payers’ Association, presenting Episode Three in her ‘Trilogy’ – “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.
The pre-amble to the ‘Trilogy’ is available here:
Episode Two is available here:
For reasons which will soon become apparent, Episode One will appear last in the series . . . it’s a killer!
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Dear Editor,
Thank you for your continued interest in the story about the Yorkshire Coast BID and your determination to keep this at the forefront of public interest. Whatever the individual view of current ongoing political turmoil, the concerns may well be that the public are treated as ‘children’ and thereby, unworthy of being entrusted with information that they may not be capable of processing.
Over the last 4 years, with your help, we have managed to compile a dossier of information that will prove that the tax and rate paying public have every right to question what they are told. The insult to the intelligence, experience and integrity of these hard-working individuals is unforgiveable …. that’s what drives us.
‘Trilogy’ – Episode Three
The story so far…
In this Episode of the “Emperor’s New Clothes”, the reader is already aware that the promised ‘magical’ outfit crafted by a team of ‘weavers and tailors’ is a con. The reader also knows that the Emperor’s ‘trusted advisors’ have already twisted the fabric of reality.
Following a Vote of No Confidence in the Yorkshire Coast BID from SBC (elected members) and legal challenges at ERYC and SBC concerning the maladministration surrounding VAT…The ‘trusted advisors’ are continuing to declare:
“We have very carefully examined the processes we instigated -{we have marked our own homework}- and despite the misgivings you may have as rate payers -{lesser beings/plebs who pay our wages}- we can assure you that there is NOTHING of any significance that can protect you from being forced to pay this levy -{because we signed an agreement without your knowledge}- We have a legal duty to extract finances from you -{peasants}- to give to the BID company -{who we think are ‘awesome’/’very clever people’}- -{our elected members may think otherwise, but. meh….what do they know?}- -{ we and the YCBID might have our sums wrong. But we’re not admitting that to you and, in any case, you are all stupid – because the New Clothes are real and only stupid people can’t see it}-.”
The team of rogue weavers and tailors, of course, need no re-assurance of their supremacy – they KNOW they are much cleverer than simple peasants..
Let’s take a brief look at what 4 years’ worth of YCBID’s NOTHING (to worry about) looks like:-
In the hastily reconstructed Business Plan following Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council’s refusal to join the Yorkshire Coast BID’s snuggle club, the YCBID promises to:
“WORK ON BEHALF OF BUSINESSES TO CREATE REAL CHANGE AND HAVE THEIR VIEWS REPRESENTED….”:-
So, where is this reflected in the Company Board Structure, as outlined by Alderman Norman Murphy’s recent article in the North Yorks Enquirer?
- Representation By True Levy Payers Within the Yorkshire Coast BID? = NIL.
- Not One Single Levy Paying Business OWNER Within The BID Area? = NIL. None. Not One.
(Letters stating reasons for withdrawal from the Board have been previously published on the North Yorks Enquirer).
Presumably that INCLUDES the refusal to allow ‘Levy Paying Members’ to force an EGM following Covid19 Lockdowns with the rebuttal?
“Quite frankly, we have better things to do with our time.”
“NOT DUPLICATE OR REPLACE ‘WHAT IS ALREADY IN EXISTENCE””:-
Such as? A few examples….
Scarborough’s ‘Goldwing Parade’ – Fossil Festival – Christmas Events – Ambassadors – Scarborough Gift Card (A recent FOI revealed that £250,000 extracted from local businesses was pumped back into SBC’s coffers to ‘supplement’ these already successful ongoing initiatives…..).
Whitby (and more recently) Bridlington in Bloom. Businesses in Whitby, once alerted to the fact that they had already paid voluntarily to this once-revered and long-established initiative refused to support Whitby In Bloom via a secondary tax. Ill feeling all round) Bridlington in Bloom representation is about to happen later in October… by one of the Board Members. Watch the Bridlington Town Council website for further updates.
“RESEARCH NEW SOLUTIONS…IMPLEMENT PROJECTS…PROVIDE VALUE…DELIVER BUSINESSES A RETURN…”
To be fair to the weavers and tailors of the Yorkshire Coast BID, even they (with their vast knowledge of ‘all things commercial’) couldn’t have anticipated the advent of COVID….but they managed to ‘step up to the plate’. Or at least, the collection plate, to the tune of £59,000. Which they (to be fair) promptly handed to Scarborough Borough Council who (to be fair) passed it off as a ‘government grant’. To be fair, this was a case of mistaken identity and, when pointed out to the Officer who had made the ‘mistake’, it was acknowledged (to be fair) by an e-mail by stating that this was ‘a mistake’.
To be fair, the weavers and tailors of YCBID (like many BID companies) did do a lot of ‘working hard behind the scenes’ … especially during COVID lockdowns. They came up with ‘New Solutions’ as promised:-
“SHOPAPPY” – An online store that sold stuff. Especially helpful for those Hotels, Pubs and Restaurants unable to deliver services.
“MONSTER SAFARI” – Stickers in some shop windows designed to ‘engage’ families when shops were able to re-open…. ‘Very Exciting’ Initiative. No idea how much this cost businesses – or, as ever what yields.
“MEERKAT ASSOCIATES” – The promised ‘Money Saving by Bulk Buying’ service. To be fair – by using some ‘forward thinking’ the YCBID had already anticipated by now that -{stupid}- business owners had not one ounce of common sense between them and that what was needed was a way of educating the -{stupid}- business owners into ways of saving money. So they did this;-
They gave £20,000 to an organisation, along with a database they didn’t own, and invited them to make phone calls on behalf of ‘Yorkshire Coast BID’ in order to save money on behalf of -{stupid}- business owners. To be fair, we’ve had one report back from a -{stupid}- business owner who revealed that they managed to secure ‘savings’ for his business of ‘up to £20 per year’. Stupidly enough (to be fair), he told them to ‘F**k right off’.
“BRID BUS” – Open-top bus tour of Bridlington – “PLASTIC PUFFINS” – from Poland – “TROJAN HORSE”.
The original “BRID BUS” initiative was revealed to us at a meeting at the Revelstoke Hotel in 2019. It was an entertaining evening, chaired by the Mayor of Bridlington who kept a suitable arm’s length to all assembled and remained neutral throughout. The Chair of the YCBID was present. As was a Board Member who extolled the virtues of the “BRID BUS”, but refused to state who the ‘operator’ was. (Board Member -{non levy payer}- has since resigned).
The Open-top Bus Tour of Bridlington is operated by the East Riding Motor Company -{non levy payer}-. Paid £10,000 by YCBID to ‘promote’ the tour.
Despite the promise to ‘Protect the Yorkshire Coast’ it was deemed prudent to import “Plastic Puffin” statues from Poland to be placed ‘along the Coast’. (A business in nearby Derby offers a similar service). Businesses in Bridlington were told to remove ‘A-boards’ promoting their businesses the day before statues of “Plastic Puffins” were plonked in direct contravention to Planning Regulations.
AND NOW – TA-DAH- THE FINALE!!!
“THE TROJAN HORSE” – TO END ALL FINAL TROJAN HORSES!!!
So….has the “TROJAN HORSE”, built within Bridlington Spa, aided and abetted by ERYC, broken any World Records? And have the -{stupid}- business owners forced to fund this ‘spectacular’ event accrued any ‘return on investment’? Will the ‘beneficiaries’ -{food bank Bridlington}- be less hungry because of ‘recycling’ of the materials?
The jury remains out – until 3rd November….
BEFORE THAT . . .
Readers may look forward to the final Episode of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”
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