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Cycle Event 2008? Consultation
At Last! In Mid October P&K Council Says: ‘Let’s Talk’
Consultation! With no pre-conditions! That is what the people of Highland Perthshire are being offered over the fraught issue of whether another cycle marathon should be staged in 2008.
A meeting of local representatives and council bigwigs has been organised by Perth & Kinross for Tuesday 16 October which may be a first step towards an harmonious approach to such potentially contentious events.
This year’s cycle race on June 24, organised by Etape Caledonia, closed approx 95 miles of local roads and infuriated many local people and businesses because the decision to stage it was taken with only a handful of local people knowing anything about it. Not only did P&K grant it permission, but also it voted Etape £20,000 towards any losses it might incur.
Councillor Kellas, the new convenor of the Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee, says he wants to start with a clean slate.
This month’s meeting is restricted to attendance by representatives of our local community councils and tourism associations, plus representatives from Comment and Etape. But the meeting will examine an independent study by EKOS consultants into the economic impact of this year’s event.
The study shows it was of marginal benefit to the area, confirming the findings of Comment’s own questionnaire showing little local enthusiasm and much anger about the way it had been handled, particularly by P&K.
In response to sceptical questions raised by Comment regarding the purpose of the meeting, a council spokesman said that it was to gain views from all the relevant groups: “No decision has been reached on the future of the event; the meeting is one of the first steps in deciding its future.”
C’llr Kellas wrote to the editor of Comment with similar assurances: “I freely admit that my first aim is to not to discount the potential for such an event just because there are issues. I realise that the starting point is somewhat tarnished, but I will be open to consider all options, including advising against the event.”
The meeting will hear the consultants’ key findings and the key issues which they have identified. A total of 365 businesses were contacted with 122 responding.
According to reports of their research, 39% reported a negative impact on the day, 48% reported no impact, and only 12% reported a positive impact.
There were complaints about the road closures, negative feedback from customers and cancellation of bookings. Many said there was not enough consultation and if it is re-run, the timing of the event should be changed to off-season. 8% of respondents suggested cancelling future closed road events.
Ekos also ‘discovered’ from its returns that the event attracted a total of 2,536 visitors and that, “the vast majority would not have been in the area if the event had not been taking place.” But it also found that the, “displacement of non-attendees” negatively impacted on 48 businesses.
However, it concludes that the “net additional spend in P&K was £191,337” - although no account appears to have been taken of the opportunity costs incurred by the businesses negatively affected, or of their losses on the day.
The Etape event organisers can be expected to argue for the event to continue, perhaps with it being brought forward to May. When they received the go-ahead for this year’s event, it was on the basis that it would continue, along with with further council subsidies.
Challenge
A rallying call was made in the last issue of Comment for more thinking to be done about events that would provide a sustainable economic future for Highland Perthshire. It maintained that the challenge is to unlock local collaborative energies, and to devise and promote off-season attractions that bring people for more than just the odd day.
It is suggested that the hallmarks of resulting proposals should be that they:
take full account of the varied local strengths and weaknesses;
are angled at securing the support of broad and inclusive interests locally;
avoid elements of ‘compulsory’ compliance among local inhabitants, such as are required by road closures;
contain, as part of the opportunity costs of implementation, an equitable and deliverable formula for legitimate compensation for collaterally damaged local businesses/communities.
From all that has arisen surrounding the event this summer it must be evident to the local authority, and its promoter, that the backing of local residents and the commercial community will be essential for any future enterprise.
C’llr Kellas, an elected politician with appropriate sensitivities, seems to have taken that idea firmly on board.
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