Love Wimbledon Ballot 2026 - A BID that delivers!

Each property or hereditament subject to the Love Wimbledon BID will be entitled to one vote in a 28-day postal ballot which will commence on 9th October 2026 and close at 5pm on 5th November 2026. Ballot papers received after 5pm on 5th November 2026 will not be counted.

Those eligible to vote in the ballot will be those non-domestic ratepayers listed on Merton Council’s database for each hereditament (business premises) situated in the geographical area of the proposed BID at the date of this Notice.

The business must have a rateable value of over £20,000.

Each person/business entitled to vote has one vote for each hereditament occupied or (if unoccupied) owned by him or her in the geographical area of the proposed BID. Some ratepayers may receive more than one vote if they have more than one property.

The Love Wimbledon BID is funded through a BID levy, which is a mandatory contribution paid by eligible businesses within the BID area.

ALL BID levy money is ringfenced for activity in the BID area and Businesses help decide and input into what they want for the area.

The BID levy is typically calculated as a percentage of a business’s rateable value and is only introduced if the majority of businesses vote in favour of the BID during the ballot.

Please read Levy Rules for more information.

The BID ballot consultation is a period of engagement with local businesses ahead of the BID  vote.

Because a Business Improvement District (BID) can only operate for a maximum of five years, it must undergo a ballot process to continue. This includes business and community consultation, where Love Wimbledon gathers feedback from levy-paying businesses across the BID area. This is through online surveys, meetings and one to ones.

This feedback is used to develop a new business plan that reflects the needs and ambitions of Love Wimbledon’s business community.

Following the consultation, all eligible businesses are invited to vote in the BID ballot. The outcome of that vote determines whether Love Wimbledon continues for another term.

All survey responses are used to help shape Love Wimbledon’s business plan for the next BID term (2027–2032).

The feedback gathered from businesses plays a vital role in determining the priorities, projects and services that will be delivered over the next five years – ensuring the BID reflects the real needs of the local business community.

All responses are treated as strictly private and confidential. Individual feedback is never shared publicly; instead, insights are combined and analysed to inform the overall direction of the BID.

By taking part in the survey, businesses directly influence how future investment is used to support Wimbledon town centre.

The Love Wimbledon BID business plan – also known as the BID proposal – is a document that sets out the priorities and vision for the next five-year term.

It outlines the key improvements businesses want to see in the area, the projects and services the BID will deliver and how the BID will be managed, governed and operated.

The business plan is shaped directly by feedback from local businesses during the consultation process, ensuring it reflects the needs and ambitions of Wimbledon’s business community.

This plan is then used as the basis for the BID ballot, helping businesses make an informed decision on whether to support the BID for the next term.

If you have any questions about the Love Wimbledon BID, the consultation or the ballot process, please get in contact us on 0208 6192012 or info@lovewimbledon.org

LEVY RULES
1. The BID levy will apply to all persons or organisations liable
to pay the non-domestic rates for eligible hereditaments
located within the BID area.
2. The BID levy will be calculated using the rateable value of
each hereditament as it appears on the Non-Domestic Rating
list as at 1 April 2027, and this value will be used for the whole
of the BID term (1 April 2027 – 31 March 2032).
3. The levy will be adjusted only where there is a genuine
physical or use change to a hereditament – including
new construction, merger, subdivision, extension or
refurbishment – resulting in a new or amended entry on
the rating list. In these cases, the rateable value from the
updated list will be used from the effective date of that
change, and any resulting reduction will apply prospectively
only and will not be backdated. No refund will be made for
that chargeable period.
4. For any new hereditament entering the rating list after 1
April 2027, the BID levy will be applied using the rateable
value as at the date of entry, in accordance with these rules.
5. All properties or hereditaments with a rateable value of
£20,000 or more will be liable for payment of the levy.
6. The BID levy is set at 1.30% of rateable value, except where a
reduced rate applies under the following two rules.
7. Charitable organisations in receipt of mandatory or
discretionary charitable relief from rates will pay the BID levy at
40% of the rate that would otherwise apply. This reduced rate
applies irrespective of the level of relief from rates received.
8. The average annual BID levy income across the next
five-year term is £693,527.05 (the total levy income
£3,467,635.24 across the BID term)
9. All hereditaments within Wimbledon Quarter with a retail
use will pay the BID levy at 90% of the rate that would
otherwise apply.
10. All hereditaments with a retail use located within
Wimbledon Station, and only beyond the paid ticket
barriers, shall receive a 60% reduction on the BID levy.
11. The BID levy will be charged annually in advance for each
chargeable period (1 April to 31 March each year), starting
1 April 2027. The person or company responsible for the
non-domestic rates on 1 April of each chargeable period will
be liable for the entire year’s charge, and no refunds will be
made on the levy charged within that period other than as
set out in these rules.
12. The BID levy will have to be paid by a new ratepayer
occupying an existing or new rateable property within the
BID area up until the end of the five-year term on 31 March
2032, even if they did not vote in the ballot.
13. Any new eligible rateable hereditament created during the
lifetime of the BID and situated in the BID area will be obliged
to pay the levy from the next chargeable day.
14. Any property removed from the rating list during a
chargeable period will be removed from the levy from the
date the local authority is notified of the update by the
Valuation Office (not the effective date of the change). No
refund will be made for that chargeable period.
15. The owners of untenanted properties or hereditaments will
be liable for payment of the levy, with no void period.
16. The number of properties or hereditaments liable for the
BID levy is approximately 400.
17. The BID levy may be increased annually, with effect from
1 April in a particular year, to allow for inflation. The
allowance for inflation shall be confirmed by the BID Board
each year and shall equal no more than 3% per annum.
18. There will be no VAT charged on the BID levy.
19. Merton Council will be responsible for the administration
and collection of the levy on behalf of the BID, and will
charge the BID an annual fee for collection and for
managing legal proceedings in the event of non-payment.
This is currently approximately £3,500 per year.

1. The Proposer of the BID and the BID body is Love Wimbledon
BID, a not-for-profit organisation limited by guarantee
(Company number 7822514).
2. The Directors of the BID (the ‘Board’) shall be representative
of levy-paying businesses. The Board will meet at least once
a quarter, with responsibility for governance matters such
as financial arrangements, contractual obligations, human
resources, standards, performance and compliance. The
Board may nominate and appoint Directors and shall appoint
a Chair. Levy-paying businesses are eligible to apply to the
Board to become a Director

3. The Board shall have the ability to vary service delivery
and expenditure allocation according to the changing
demands of levy payers. However, any change to the
BID boundary or to the levy rate proposed would
require an alteration ballot.
4. The BID will file annual accounts at Companies House.
The accounts will be available to all levy payers on
request to Love Wimbledon.
5. The BID will monitor performance against annual
objectives and will report to levy payers at least once
a year. Regular updates through email bulletins, social
media and business visits will keep businesses informed.
Consumer and business surveys will be conducted
throughout the BID term. An annual report and
business meetings will provide information on the BID’s
activities, including finances. A financial statement will
be distributed to businesses.
6. The BID shall meet with Merton Council, as the Billing
Authority, to monitor service delivery, levy collection
and financial management issues.
7. An Operating Agreement and the Council’s Baseline
service commitments will be agreed with Merton
Council. A copy will be made available at www.
lovewimbledon.org/the-bid .
8. BID levy income will be held in a ring-fenced account
and used only for the delivery of the projects and
services set out in the Business Plan

The ‘Notice of Ballot’ is a posted letter which advises businesses or the voter within a business that Wimbledon Town Centre Business Improvement District – Love Wimbledon, that a ballot is to be held on the proposal to renew the Business improvement District (BID).

If a ballot paper has not been received by 30 October, an application can be made (whether or not in person) for a replacement to be issued. Evidence of the voter’s identity must also be provided. This must be completed through Merton Council Electoral Services:

Telephone: 020 8545 3407
Email: electoral.services@merton.gov.uk

In such a case, the voter should inform the ballot holder as soon as possible, and not wait until 30 October. This will enable the replacement to be prepared in time for posting or collection on 30 October.

A replacement cannot be issued if the ballot holder is informed after 30 October 2026.

The person entitled to vote in the BID ballot may appoint someone else to vote on his or her behalf (a proxy) if, for example, that person is going to be away at the time of the ballot or if the address of the person voting is not in the UK.  The latest time that a proxy may be appointed is 5 pm on Monday, 26 October 2026.  A proxy appointment form is available from Merton Electoral Services.

An application to appoint a proxy must be made in writing to Merton Electoral Services and must:

• state the full name and address of the person whom the person entitled to vote (the applicant) wishes to appoint as proxy;
• state the address of the applicant’s hereditament;
• contain a statement by the applicant that the named proxy has been consulted and is capable of being and willing to be appointed; and
• be signed by the applicant.

To be included in the count, ballot papers must be returned to:

Merton Electoral Services

Merton Civic Centre

London Road

Morden

SM4 5DX.

Tel: 020 8545 3407, Fax: 020 8545 3249, E-mail: electoral.services@merton.gov.uk

Please note no-one from the Love Wimbledon team is allowed to touch a ballot paper. If you do not have enough time to post your vote (even with first class it can be 3 days) please contact the Love Wimbledon team and we can make other arrangements.