AS the owner of a business within the Salisbury BID levy area, and one who has happily paid their levy, I feel I have a right to respond to the article in last week’s Journal.

I believe in this wonderful city called Salisbury and my guess is that all the businesses operating in Salisbury believe in it too. It's not perfect, nothing is, but the levy money will help us make it better Anyone starting a new business knows that “Rome was not built in a day”. Things take time to develop, market and grow. The BID is no different – it is a new business.

The big difference is, it's a new business owned by more than 500 business owners The BID is a five-year programme with a five-year business plan. And we are only in month five.

Not everyone will see a benefit immediately or at the same time. A new marketing strategy is looking at the short term needs along with longer term developments and market growth, which needs to encompass every business sector. This takes time.

Potential levy payers were consulted at all times leading up to the vote and the actual vote followed strict legal rules. It was fully constituted on April , 2014. Invoices were sent out in June and businesses given plenty of time to pay.

So everyone needs to understand we have not had a budget to spend until very recently.

Parking is an ongoing issue and the BID team is working with Wiltshire Council which is still in consultation and due to report later this year.

Just because you can't see every meeting the BID team is attending, it doesn't mean nothing is happening.

Three business organisations (FSB, Chamber of Commerce and BID) are working together to ensure there is no duplication of business support, avoiding wasting limited resources.

So, if you are considering refusing to pay your share of this levy, you will be relying on other businesses, like mine, who have paid the levy, to promote you, your business and the city, with no contribution from you.

If you're unhappy, how do you think that makes me and other levy payers feel?

Mary Webb

BID Board Member

Peartree Serviced Apartments