The Director of Regeneration, the Economy and Community Services Manager and the Cabinet Member for Regeneration have been invited to attend for this item.

The Vice-Chairman in the Chair welcomed the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, the Director of Regeneration, Economy and Community Services Manager and Project Officer to the meeting. 

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration thanked the Committee for their invitation to attend and spoke of the importance of tourism in Swale.  He added that tourism was a non-statutory function, Swale did not have one significant attraction but many feature attractions and that the preservation and maintenance of tourist attractions along with planned facilities within the Sittingbourne Town Centre regeneration was vital for the future of Swale.  In response to a comment from a Member, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration agreed that Swale was ideally located for visitors to the continent, London and nearby attractions.

The Economy and Community Services Manager gave a presentation on Leisure and Tourism in Swale, setting out the issues faced by the service which included future priorities and financial pressures.  She highlighted Swale’s core attractions in its coastline, countryside, marshlands and events and spoke of the interaction with partners as detailed in the Core Budget on the presentation handout given to Members.

The key issues highlighted in the presentation included:

·         Use of apprentices and internal partnership working;

·         Investment in Swale and the support of local businesses;

·         Use of social media to encourage visitors;

·         Visit Swale website;

·         Performance monitoring of quality accommodation in Swale;

·         Partnership agreement with Visit England;

·         The Faversham Society as an events provider and sole accredited museum in the Borough;

·         Successful tourist projects in Swale;

·         Planned projects in the future.

The Economy and Community Services Manager added that other issues to consider in the future included greater technological advances and the provision of tourism facilities for an ageing and a more culturally diverse population.

A Member considered that the Council should preserve its historical assets and should take advantage of opportunities such as filming in Swale.  The same Member encouraged all Members to promote events and attractions on social media and suggested a District Tourism Plan be drawn up.  In response, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration welcomed ideas but warned of the small budget available.  The Economy and Community Services Manager added that the Council were working with the Kent Film Office but agreed to consider marketing and promotion after filming had taken place.  She further advised that a tourism plan was being considered.

A Member suggested that more visitor facilities could be provided for those locations that were already popular such as Minster Leas, Perry Woods and Conyer, to generate more income and possible employment.  He highlighted the success of Faversham Quay.  The Cabinet Member for Regeneration agreed that there should be more exploration of the coastline and highlighting of beaches with Blue Flags. The Economy and Community Services Manager agreed to consider more opportunities to create activities and facilities at sites within legislative constraints.

A Member congratulated the team on achieving so much with such a small budget and raised concerns that the service was a non-statutory function as he considered an increase in tourism would transform economic viability.   He suggested that there should be a list of priorities followed by money to be spent to improve the economic development of the Borough.  In response, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration advised that there had to be a balance with statutory and non-statutory services and in the future the service would be more self-financing.  He added that the allocation of the budget could be initiated by the recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee in the future.

Whilst congratulating the team, a Member warned that the Borough assets could generate income but could also cost money.  He suggested tours of locations where filming had taken place and sought more up-to-date statistics on the value of tourism in Swale.  The Economies and Community Services Manager explained that a change of management at Visit Kent had caused a delay in agreeing the Cambridge Model, but the new model and figures would be measured against other districts, all 12 of whom had participated.

A Member suggested alternative funding from businesses for schemes such as that achieved at Herne Bay pier.  He also highlighted the imbalance of funding on the Isle of Sheppey, which had received the highest number of hits on the website, and urged funding to be allocated in the most appropriate places. He considered bolder and greater risks should be taken.  In response, the Economies and Community Services Manager advised there would be a review of how the budget was allocated and that there were multiple websites for Faversham that masked the number of hits Faversham had actually received.  The Cabinet Member for Regeneration added that the Faversham Society had received a large proportion of the budget as it was the only Tourist Information Centre and accredited museum in the Borough. 

Further suggestions from Members included:

·         Better signage to tourist attractions;

·         Extending the parking area at Minster Leas;

·         More effective publicity for events in the Borough;

·         Charging for slipways for motorboat users;

·         Additional facilities in beach locations such as the “Sweet Hut”;

·         Educational visits for schools and universities and encouraging exchange visitors;

·         Targeting specific niche markets such as boat owners;

·         Ferry and cycle service;

·         Reinstatement of French market;

·         Excursions to SS Richard Montgomery (as already offered from Southend Pier);

·         Encouragement of longer visits in holiday accommodation and encouragement of Kent County Council to promote Kent as a place to stay;

·         More publicity of the importance of the area for birdlife and history;

·         Promotion of maritime opportunities and locally grown food;

·         Promotion of landscape designation;

·         Publicity of Swale, wider than Swale;

·         Consideration of self-financing projects in the future.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration advised that a number of suggested initiatives could be carried forward. The Economies and Community Services Manager advised that there was already a new partnership with the University of Kent working closely with Architectural students using Swale in their studies and agreed that more work would be put into expanding educational interest.

In response to a question relating to measuring the accommodation standard in the Borough, the Economies and Community Services Manager advised that only the 53 hotels, bed and breakfasts and guesthouses in the Borough were measured.  She further advised that Kent had to work harder to develop and retain a visitor base rather than be a transient route and any opportunities would be considered should an additional Thames crossing be constructed.

The Project Officer advised that Faversham, Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey were marketed separately on Visit Kent and referred to the increase in hits to the Visit Swale website.

The Director of Regeneration thanked the Scrutiny Committee for their comments and considered that Swale had many natural assets with huge potential.  She further advised that a Visitor Economy Strategy would be implemented in the future.

The Vice-Chairman in the Chair thanked the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, the Director of Regeneration, the Economies and Community Services Manager and Project Officer for their attendance.