Agenda item

Agenda item

Destination Management Plan

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report presented jointly by the Director – Customers and Jennifer Spencer of Trent Bank House Consultants in relation to progress made since the launch of the Tourism Strategy in early 2017 and which sought specific approval to consult on a draft Destination Management Plan (DMP) for Newark. 

 

The report set out the vision and strategic aims of the Tourism Strategy and provided information as to a number of projects that had been developed to better coordinate the district’s offer to tourists and travel operators.  Paragraph 3 of the report listed the proposals that were included within the Destination Management Plan.

 

In presenting the report the Director advised Members that work had begun to produce a similar document for the western side of the district, Sherwood.  Mrs Spencer advised of the organisations consulted in compiling the DMP, stating that much more could be done to promote tourism in the district.  She noted that Southwell had, in recent years, successfully marketed the assets within the town and that learning from their experience could be fed into further developing Newark as a tourism destination. 

 

Members noted that the DMP recommended that further documents be developed and queried whether they were considered to be important to the successful delivery of the Plan.  Mrs Spencer advised that organisations to where future bids for funding may be submitted would expect to see proof of strategic thinking and the further documents would provide evidence of that thereby enabling them to see a whole picture including proposed systems and processes to deliver the plan.

 

A Member of the Committee stated that it was his understanding that the report was suggesting that an arms-length management organisation be established with the board being made up of Members and Officers from NSDC and Newark Town Council and that it would include assets beyond the Newark area.  In response, the Chairman sought to clarify the proposal.  He advised that funding had been allocated to the Sherwood Forest Trust and early works were underway which would feed into the DMP for Sherwood.  Southwell had created a partnership to promote their tourism and the same was required for Newark.    It was likely that there would be 3 partnerships in Newark, Southwell and Sherwood.  The partnership would not be a separate company or body, it would be a group of people who would look to promote the assets within their area. 

 

A Member stated that the Chairman’s comments had provided some reassurance, adding that it was likely that the Sherwood Partnership, when established, would be of greater benefit to the Newark Partnership rather than the other way round.  He added that it would be of benefit to consider attractions outside of the district’s boundaries, citing Clumber Park which fell within Bassetlaw District Council’s area.  He also noted that many of the organisations listed in the DMP had overlapping remits and that a partnership may be able to provide a more cohesive approach. 

 

The Leader of the Council, who was in attendance at the meeting, stated that the three proposed DMPs when established must not become independent and that it was important for a coordinated approach to bring them and their ideas together.  More information was needed about the roles of other organisations and that the Economic Development Committee must remain responsible for Heritage, Culture and Visitors. 

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

 

(a)     the Committee approves the draft Destination Management Plan for consultation with the local and national stakeholders which have been involved in its development;

 

(b)     the Director – Customers works with partners to establish the Newark Steering Group which would be the body responsible for the delivery of the Destination Management Plan;

 

(c)     the Committee approves, in principle, the move to a single management structure for tourism assets within the responsibility of the District Council, the creation of a new marketing post to promote the visitor offer across the District and the commissioning of research to establish better information on visitor numbers and experiences; and

 

(d)     subject to the approval of recommendation c), the budgetary implications of the proposals are fully costed and brought back to the Committee for decision at its meeting in March.

 

Supporting documents: