Tourism operators in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston will next month be asked to vote on plans for a new seafront business improvement district (Bid) which would increase funding available for marketing and staging new events.

The final Bid business plan will be circulated to businesses later this week, to be followed by ballot papers on May 3.

The ballot will close on May 31 and the result will be declared on June 2; if a majority votes in favour, a five-year Bid will begin on September 1.

The scheme would mean all seafront operators paying an additional sum in their business rates towards a programme of agreed improvements designed to boost tourism – currently membership of the Greater Yarmouth Tourist Authority (GYTA) is voluntary so the amount raised by subscriptions is limited to those signing up.

Bids have already been used to improve the tourism economy in other places around the country, such as Southend.

The Bid would raise as much as £2.4m over its five-year life but, as the annual levy would only be 1.5pc of rateable value, 90pc of businesses would be asked to contribute less than £225 a year.