Maidstone's Business Improvement District (Bid) will officially come into effect from October, it has been confirmed.

Business in the county town voted in favour of a scheme to establish the scheme earlier this summer.

It replaces the previous town centre management organisation and is vowing to generate income of around £2.15million over its initial five-year term.

It will seek to fund schemes to promote the town centre and its business, as well as tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in a bid to swell footfall.

Following in the footsteps of Canterbury, which established its Bid in 2014, the Bids are a business-led and business-funded body formed to improve a defined commercial area.

Of the businesses that voted in the postal ballot which ended on July 12, 77% voted in favour of establishing a Bid in the town centre.

It means all businesses will pay a 1.5% levy based on the rateable value of their property, reducing to 1% for those located in one of the three shopping centres – The Mall. Fremlin Walk and Royal Star Arcade.

Businesses with a rateable value of less than £15,000 are exempt.

The Maidstone Bid was proposed by One Maidstone, a not-for-profit community interest company.

The Maidstone Bid will begin on October 1.

Ilsa Butler, town centre coordinator for One Maidstone, said: "Over the past year, One Maidstone has been working on a proposal to establish a Business Improvement District for the town centre and we are delighted to have received such an overwhelming mandate for our proposals from businesses in Maidstone.

"Establishing a Bid will enable Maidstone to meet its full potential as the county town of Kent and deliver projects to enhance the town centre to benefit its businesses, residents and visitors. Businesses have clearly seen the benefits the Bid will deliver and the ballot result is a real endorsement of the business plan we developed."