Issue - meetings

Arising from a report from the Head of Communities and Governance, the Community Well-Being Policy Development Group had recommended that the Tourism Action Plan for 2016/17 be approved.

Arising from a report from the Head of Communities and Governance, the Community Well-Being Policy Development Group had recommended that the Tourism Action Plan for 2016/17 be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration outlined the contents of the report explaining the work programme that was proposed and that tourism had been specifically highlighted within the proposed Corporate Plan.

With regard to Mr Marshall’s question, some of the work towards a tourism strategy had already taken place within the GL Hearn document, the Heart of Devon Partnership would work together with Mid Devon Attractions Group but further market research would be required.

The Economic Development Manager stated that the Corporate Plan highlighted tourism underneath the economic objective, further research was required to identify our visitors and who we wanted to attract to area; working with local stakeholders was an important part of this work.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         Ongoing projects taking place in the local towns

·         The need to improve pavements and tidiness in the towns

·         The need for tourist projects to reach rural areas

·         Projects that had been run in the Blackdown Hills to attract tourists

·         The need to encourage volunteers and work with local people who had individual ideas for specific projects

·         Whether further research was necessary

RESOLVED that the item be deferred until the next meeting to allow further work to take place with a view to including more rural based actions within the action plan.

(Proposed by Cllr R J Chesterton and seconded by Cllr R L Stanley)

Note: - *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.