Traders have come together to form Daventry Democratic Traders (DDT) and Monday they had collected 45 signatures.

The Bid was set up by the Daventry Town Centre Partnership (TCP) to make improvements to the area. However many traders have criticised the way the consulatation and ballot was organised by the TCP.

The DDT has been primarily set up by Ian Maddan from Daventry Dry Cleaners in High Street, Dawn Brannigan of First Light Photographic in High Street, Peter McDonnell from PJ Pets in Bowen Square and Nick Clift from Vital Saloon, also in Bowen Square. The group claim most town centre businesses have now joined.

Mr Maddan said: “In just one afternoon, we have collected 45 signatures by going up and down Sheaf Street, by the time we have canvassed everyone we will have hundreds of signatures calling for a reballot.”

Mr Clift added: “We, the traders, are confident that we have won the moral argument, we are confident in our legal position having sought advice and we feel we have the support of the general public and the mayor’s office.

“What we are now asking the town centre partnership to do is voluntarily order a reballot.”

The petition follows the news that more than half of the businesses in the town centre have not paid the Bid levy of an extra two per cent on their rates. The deadline for payment was on August 1.

Simon Bovey, managing director of Daventry District Council, which is responsible for collecting the payment on behalf of the TCP, said: “At close of business on Monday, August 11, the Bid levy payment has been received from 116 businesses (38 per cent) and not received from 190 (62 per cent).

“The next step will be to issue reminder notices, in accordance with normal recovery procedures, to businesses that have not yet paid.”

Sally Halson, manager of the Bid on behalf of the TCP, said: “We are expecting more businesses to pay up in the immediate future with some of them just clearing accounts.The Town Centre Partnership was commissioned to do this work by businesses in the town and we are delivering that and will continue to do so.”