HOPES of injecting new life and cash into Abergavenny town centre have been dashed with a public poll rejecting the contentious BID project by a substantial margin.

Exactly 60 per cent of traders threw out the pay-as-you-go initiative - which could have seen £1 million pumped into the commercial heart of Abergavenny over the next five years.

The team in favour of the enterprise immediately declared that those who voted NO had missed an vital opportunity to re-energise the town.

The 60-40 vote in favour of ditching the Business Improvement District venture (BID) probably won the day on the grounds that the levy demanded from participating businesses - particularly the less well off - was too costly.

In the end some 237 votes were cast in the town ballot. The NO team secured 143 votes while the YES managed just 94. To succeed, the BID needed to win the support of 51 per cent of voters.

Eight ballot papers were spoiled. The turn-out of 59 per cent was well above the average of 46

per cent.

The announcement was made late last week at the King's Arms pub by Mosaic Partnership BID consultants spokesman Mo Aswat who said, "It's a tough process - but a democratic one.

"Some will feel deflated and a little bit bruised. It's been a hard campaign, but I hope people here will come together to find another way. Maybe another time."