Consultation and engagement

Ballot on a change to the BID levy for hotels and serviced accommodation

Start date: 27th March 2025
End date: 5pm on 24th April 2025, the day of the ballot

What are we holding a ballot for?

At the request of the Liverpool Business Improvement District Company, Liverpool City Council is holding a ballot of hotel and serviced accommodation operators who currently pay a levy to the company as part of the Accommodation Business Improvement District. The ballot seeks their approval for a change in how the levy is calculated.

If approved in the ballot, the levy will change from a fixed percentage of the hotel or serviced accommodation’s rateable value to an occupation-based levy such that a £2 per night levy will be payable per occupied room, based upon estimated average occupation figures for the sector in Liverpool published by Smith Travel Research (STR) each month.

The levy would continue to only be payable in respect of hotel or serviced accommodation with a rateable value of £45,000 or more.

How to vote

The ballot will be taken entirely by post with votes to be returned by 5pm on the day of the ballot (Thursday 24th April 2025) and is being carried out by Civica Election Services (CES) who will send ballot papers to levy payers at the address of the premises subject to the levy. The completed ballot should be returned to CES at the address provided by them. The result of the ballot will be announced as soon as possible after the close of the ballot at 5pm on 24th April 2025. 

What happens to my views?

The result of the ballot will be binding. The amended levy will come into force provided a majority of voters who returned their ballot vote “yes” and the total rateable value of their levied premises exceed the total rateable value of the relevant hotels of voters who vote “no”.

What happens next?

Eligible voters will be sent their ballot papers in the week commencing 24th March 2025.

If the amended levy is approved at ballot, then it will come into effect on 1st June 2025 or 37 days after the ballot result is published, if later. 

Further information

Further information of the proposals is available at the BID Company’s website. If you wish to discuss the ballot please contact roger.mann@liverpool.gov.uk.