Traders in Kendal have voted to keep the town’s Business Improvement District for another five years.

A 28-day postal ballot has been under way this month asking businesses if they were in favour of renewing the scheme – which has around 700 members in the town centre.

The BID was established in April 2014 and raises an annual levy from businesses within a specified area in central Kendal, which it is charged with investing in initiatives to benefit those traders.

It collects an annual levy from the businesses equal to one per cent of their rateable value - providing they have a rateable value over £3,000.

Of the 271 votes cast in the ballot, 165 were in favour of renewing the BID.

The total rateable value of the businesses that voted was £5,411,200. The total rateable value of the businesses which voted in favour was £3,287,900.

South Lakeland District Council, which carried out the ballot on behalf of the bid, said this meant the BID was approved because “a majority of the business ratepayers in the proposed BID area who voted voted in favour of the proposal, both by aggregate rateable value and numbers voting”.

Five ballot papers were rejected.

In the 2017 to 2018 financial year, Kendal BID raised £185,300 - £152,000 from the levy - and spent £163,437 on its activities.

This has included financial and promotional support for events such as MintFest, Lakes Alive and Kendal Mountain Festival.

It has also established summer and Christmas trails through the town, contributed to the development of a new brand for Kendal and helped establish the Swipii loyalty card system.