THE Chippenham BID could be forced to close after a petition calling for the scheme to be wound up was signed and submitted by more than 70 businesses in the town.

The petition was handed in prior to the BID’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) next week on Tuesday (June 14), where campaigners believe they would require 75 per cent of registered companies to vote in their favour to be successful.

Phil Clark, owner of Chippendale and Clark accountants, who along with Edward Kirk, owner of Scholars, and other business owners handed in the petition, said: “Lots of people who signed the petition never voted for the BID in the first place.

“If they [Chippenham BID] really wanted to be awkward they could say it’s not their official membership form, but even if they don’t accept the petition there will still be doubts and we will become a little more organised next time.

“Everyone on that petition are small independent traders and surely that is who the BID is for.

“It’s not there for Boots or Homebase to increase their revenue, it’s there for the small businesses.”

Voted in by Chippenham businesses in November 2014, the BID scheme was introduced in April last year with the aim of promoting businesses in the town and establishing a range of initiatives.

These have included the Chippenham Connected website, free Wi-Fi in the town centre and parking initiatives to boost footfall.

Melody Thompson, chair of the Chippenham BID board, said: “With regards to the petition of businesses compiled by Mr Kirk that have questioned the efforts of the BID, we recognise that around 50 of these are potentially authorised signatories for the relevant levy paying businesses and we are of course taking this issue very seriously.

“It is disappointing that we have not succeeded in getting our message across to 13 per cent of the 377 levy paying businesses in the BID area.

“So it is crucial that we continue to work to get across the message that the BID exists for the benefit of all businesses within the BID area, and by extension the entire business community.

“Despite a number of one-to-one meetings with BID board members it is unfortunate that Mr Kirk appears not to support the BID concept and the efforts of the BID board. The BID is not an instant solution to helping the town develop and thrive, but it certainly is a positive influence and it will increasingly continue to be so.”