LEVY payers owed money by the Dartmouth Business Improvement District will not see their money returned until the autumn.

Businesses have been waiting for a refund since a vote was taken to close the BID three months ago.

South Hams Council, which was responsible for collecting the levy payments, said it had hoped to wind up all BID business by July 15.

But former BID chairman Peter Conisbee said this week that surplus funds would not be passed to the council before mid-September.

He blamed the delay on unexpected complications in finalising the BID accounts.

Mr Conisbee said he had ‘chased the accountants for news’ only last week.

‘I can’t speak for South Hams Council, but the BID did warn in its last newsletter that this process “is likely to take some time”,’ he said.

‘My understanding is that the accountants normally aim for a turnaround time of six weeks but, due to a heavy current workload, compounded by staff absences due to maternity leave and holidays, the turnaround time has slipped to 10 weeks.  

‘Everything was passed over to them at the beginning of July. ‘They hope to start work on the accounts at the beginning of September and are anticipating having the work finished by mid September. As soon as this is done, we will be able to publish the accounts on the BID website and pass the surplus funds across to the council.’

A council spokesman said: ‘Once we receive the final accounts from the Dartmouth BID we will issue refunds.

‘No refunds have yet been processed, but as soon as we have any further information it will be communicated to all concerned.

‘BID levy payers were advised of this by letter on July 12.’

A vote to close the down the BID was taken at an extraordinary general meeting on May 10 after which directors said they would proceed to wind down the company on May 31, 2016, the end of the BID year.

At the time, levy payers were informed by Mr Conisbee that £62,000 remained in the BID’s bank account which, less costs, would be distributed back to members.

After a controversial history surrounding the two-year BID project, some levy members remain anxious about getting their money back.

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