Representatives from across Knaresborough’s business community will gather on Sunday evening to discuss the town’s economic future.
The meeting, which is open to all businesses in the Knaresborough district, has been called by a group that describes itself as “independent and proactive”, but whose members have not yet revealed their identities.
They aim to provide a platform to explore ways to attract further investment into the town, and one of the main items on the agenda will be the potential for creating a business improvement district (BID).
When a BID is created, town-centre traders pay an annual levy to support schemes that boost footfall. Harrogate, Ripon, York, Leeds and Skipton are among more than 400 places around the UK that have already established BIDs.
But it is a contentious issue in Knaresborough, where a previous proposal to create a BID in 2021 was voted down following an acrimonious battle between supporters and sceptics.
It is understood that Matthew Chapman, chief executive of Harrogate BID, has been invited to speak at Sunday’s event.
A spokesperson for the group that has called the meeting said: