Campaigners have been making a final push as voting for the renewal of Gloucester BID draws to a close this week.

City centre businesses have until Thursday, June 30 to cast their ballot over whether to renew the not-for-profit organisation for another five years.

George and Elizabeth Placidly-Cox who own 14 Gifts in Westgate Street have been lobbying neighbouring businesses  to vote no.

George said: "Lots of people we have spoken to don't know what it is or have questioned what they are getting from it? It seems like people are voting for it because they don't really know what it is but just think they should and that's a totally wrong reason.

"If it was worthwhile having then they would know what it was."

BID, which stands for Business Improvement District, is governed by a 10-strong board of levy-paying volunteers and run by a team of three employees.

Over the last five years it has spent £2.3 million establishing the patrolling City Protection Officers (£627,000) paying for more than 500 summer planters and hanging baskets (£220,000) and helping fund events (£536,000 ) aimed at increasing footfall in the city centre.

The money is raised through an annual levy paid by 543 business premises owners within an area which encompasses the Docks, Quays, the Cathedral and train station.

Mike Hall, landlord of The Pelican Inn in St Mary's Street, believes it provides value for money.

"It helps get all the businesses working together and is a good investment in the city, making it cleaner and safer."

Former BID member Chris Rawlins said not giving people a choice on whether they join is wrong.

He said: "Being forced to be part of a closed shop is inappropriate. Even if you vote no you have to pay or if you want to open a shop in Gloucester you have to pay. That's a barrier to opening a shop there.

"That's a hard left union policy from the 70s and isn't allowed in industry so why is it being allowed here?"

Mr Rawlins used to run the SoFab Sports shop in the Oxebode but closed it in April 2020, partly influenced by concerns over how the organisation was run and the feeling he was not getting much for his money.

"When the council city centre director showed the decline in footfall statistics enough was enough. They couldn't explain if the decline was more than the national picture. Did the increase in fees contribute to shops closing or did the BID drive a higher footfall than would otherwise be expected thus preventing further decline?

"It was unclear who was talking to who in whose interest. It felt increasingly as if they were talking to each other about their own interests."

Emily Gibbon, BID manager, said anyone can request to attend meetings as an observer and members are given regular updates of BID's work alongside monthly networking sessions being held and the team and board will answer any issues that businesses have.

The business plan for the next five years can be seen here  and includes continuing to fund the City Protection Officers, funding a team of Night Safe Officers, supporting the Street Medics and developing Gloucester's Purple Flag Status- awarded to places which have vibrant, night-time economies. BID also wants to re-introduce an accreditation scheme that would encourage responsible management and operation of licensed premises and social responsibility.

Councillor Dawn Melvin (Con, Westgate) said BID adds huge value to the city.

"It's for the business owners in my ward to decide how they would like to vote but we have to ask ourselves what the physical landscape as well as many other things would have been like had we not embraced a BID in our city?

"There is no doubt that the city CPO's have made a huge difference, the planting scheme is greatly improved and promoting the city both locally and nationally is vastly improved. The Tall ships is a good example of an event that I'm not confident would have taken place without funding from the BID and its members."

However, Mr Placidly-Cox said this was not true as a Gloucester City Council contract for £200,000 (seen here ) shows Tall Ships is funded until 2027 so is not at risk.

He has also questioned the fairness of Gloucester City Council holding around 10 per cent of voting power. It owns 55 of the 543 businesses within the BID area, including a carpark and said it will be voting yes for each one.

Two of its councillors, Ruth Saunders and Philip Walker, attend every BID board meeting as observers.

It is also responsible for administration and enforcement of the levies and has covered the cost of the reballot.

Punchline asked the council for full details of the properties and levies it pays but did not receive a response before publication.

If businesses do not vote to keep Gloucester BID, the company will cease to exist on September 30, 2022.

If renewed, all businesses with a rateable value of £10,000 or more within the boundary will have to pay the annual levy, regardless of how they voted.

Voters have until 5pm on Thursday, June 30 to return their ballot paper.

The results of the ballot will be announced on Friday, July 1.