CONTACT OFFICER: Andrea Madden ext: 7239
DATE: 12/12/03
BACKGROUND PAPER: none
TO: Executive Board
FROM: DIRECTOR, REGENERATION, HOUSING & NEIGHBOURHOODS DATE: 15 January 2004
Formation of Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board
1. PURPOSE
To obtain approval to the formation of the new Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board to develop tourism in the sub-region
2. RECOMMENDATIONS
- Approval be given to the establishment of the Lancashire and Blackpool Board (The Lancashire & Blackpool Destination Management Board Limited) and its term of reference.
- The Board nominate a Member to take up its place on the Board.
3. KEY ISSUES
Development of an enhanced Destination Management Organisation to support tourism in Lancashire and Blackpool following the reorganisation of tourism organisations in the region and the replacement in April 2004 of the North West Tourism Board by the NWDA and a series of county-wide
organisations.
It is important to maintain a strong Blackburn with Darwen presence in the new organisation, and the Council has been granted one vote form the seven places on the new company.
4. RATIONALE
Background
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has recently announced an enhanced role for Regional Development Agencies in the strategic development of tourism within their regions effective from April 2004. This forms part of a wider review of the means by which the Government provides support for
tourism.
Within this context the North West Development Agency (NWDA) has led a regional review of tourism and produced the publication “A New Tourism Strategy for England’s North West”. The Lancashire Tourism Partnership (LTP) has recently commissioned and is in the process of completing a Sub-Regional Strategy for Lancashire, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen that flows from this regional
Strategy.
The new Tourism Strategy for Blackburn with Darwen will link in to both the regional and sub-regional Strategies for Tourism
Development.
The Action Plan element of the new Strategy for support services regionally and Sub-Regionally comprises two main areas:
- A Project delivery programme and;
- A Programme for organisational change.
The NWDA Regional Tourism Strategy envisages future organisational focus being on Sub-Regions and anticipates the development of five strong destination partnership bodies that will be the focus for relations within the tourism industry and funding. A regional body will provide support in areas of work where added value can be demonstrated. The Sub-Regional partnerships will be organised according to local need rather than to a common structure. These partnerships will effectively replace the existing North West Tourist Board from April 2004.The new Pan Lancashire Destination Management Organisation (DMO) will cover the areas of the unitary authorities of Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and the administrative County of
Lancashire.
In partnership with Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and Lancashire’s non-unitary districts, the LTP has been hugely successful in serving the needs of the tourism business sector and it is planned to build on this foundation through the development of the new Lancashire Tourism Strategy which is being prepared within the context of the Regional Strategy. Blackpool and Lancashire are significant contributors to the Region’s tourism economy. However, tourism is one element within the broad umbrella of economic regeneration and future Strategy and activities should also reflect that
fact.
The first stage of the process is to jointly, appoint independent consultants to consider the needs of the sub-region. The consultants will be funded by the NWDA. Work towards the branding of the new Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board is underway with a panel of representatives for LTP, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen awarding tenders in November 2003. Blackburn with Darwen have also been appointed as a member of the LTP bid appraisal panel to begin work in December 2003. In the near future work will commence to appoint a new Chief Executive and prepare a Business Plan. It is possible secondment from the current NW Tourist Board will be available to
assist.
As to structural issues, it is proposed that the new Lancashire and Blackpool DMO will be a Company limited by guarantee with three constituent members, Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Borough Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. The membership voting numbers would respectively be three, three and one. However it is proposed that the Company would have an independent Chair and a majority of non-public sector Directors. The Memorandum and Articles of Association have been discussed and cleared by the Director of Legal and Democratic Services and are available from her or DoRHN on
request
The Board is asked to agree that the Council participate in the proposed new DMO and nominate a representative to sit on the new company.
5. POLICY IMPLICATIONS
The development of Tourism is a priority within the Regeneration Portfolio of the 2004/05 Performance Agreement
6. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
None for the Council at this stage. The new body will eventually be making recommendations about how financial support from the NWDA and other external sources are allocated.
7. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
The Council will be participating in a new company and as such the interests of its nominee will need to be protected.
8. RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
None
9. CONSULTATIONS
None at this stage but the new Board will be presumably consulting widely on the preparation of its strategy and Business Plan
CONTACT OFFICER: ADAM SCOTT
DATE: 1 December 2003
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