BUSINESSES in Maidstone have thrown out a plan to inject an extra £2.4 million into their town centre - for the second time.

They rejected a campaign by Maidstone Town Centre Management to support a pioneering Business Improvement District (BID).

A yes vote would have added an extra one per cent to their business rates but the money would have been spent on town centre improvements that thelocal council said they would not pay for.

Bill Moss, town centre manager, said the extra cash, estimated at £2.4m over five years, had "gone down the drain."

Around 750 traders were eligible to vote, and 299 chose to do so, with 160 voting against the proposed BID, and 135 backing it, a majority of 25. Four votes were invalid.

The decision was a huge disappointment to town centre chiefs who have suffered two defeats in a year.

After last year’s defeat, they re-drew boundaries and reduced the number of businesses eligible to vote in the hope of encouraging a yes vote.

Paul Alcock, TCM chairman, said: "It is hugely disappointing because of the amount of work that’s gone in. One thing is for sure, we won’t be going for it again.

"People have clearly told us that this time and we will need to re-group. The future is really good for Maidstone but this could have made it a lot better."