Marketing drive has new face to counter city fears

Ripon City Council announced yesterday it is having to instigate the overhaul to ensure the concerted campaign to revitalise the retail and tourism sectors stays on track.

Angela Harris left the job of city development manager, which is the most senior appointment in the public sector in Ripon for more than 40 years, at the end of November after starting the role in April. She will now be replaced by Alan Weston, who is currently the city centre manager in Middlesbrough, at the end of January.

Conflicting views have emerged in recent years over the best way to drive forward Ripon’s economy and the city development manager is seen as a key figure in drawing together the different factions. The job involves working with Ripon’s own business, retail and tourism sectors as well as Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

The chairman of the city council’s staffing committee, Coun Mick Stanley, maintained Ms Harris has acted as a “catalyst”, but admitted she had decided to leave as she felt “it was not the right job for her”.

He added: “The appointment of Angela was a unanimous decision, and there has been a unanimous decision that we need to appoint a replacement. She has done a lot of good work in the time she has been in the job and has acted as a catalyst to bring together the disparate views of groups in the city. However, I think she felt she was more of a strategist and not an actual deliverer. When we advertised the role that is what we were after, and Angela felt it was perhaps not the right job for her.”

Ripon’s economy has become increasingly reliant on tourism but studies have shown the city is not fulfilling its potential. Research has revealed Ripon is not exploiting the amount of trade that could be generated from tourists visiting some of the region’s most popular attractions which are located near the city. Conservative estimates have claimed 250,000 people visit the World Heritage site of Fountains Abbey, Newby Hall and the Lightwater Valley amusement park each year. But only 100,000 visitors actually make their way into Ripon city centre.

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith issued a call in May for a development plan spanning the next decade to be drawn up for the city, which was founded more than 1,300 years ago. A new organisation, called Discover Ripon, was launched in August to provide a clear vision for tourism, the business sector and residents.

Mr Smith said: “I do believe things have improved vastly, but we need to continue to work together to ensure the progress which has already been made carries on.”

The city council has ring-fenced £180,000 to pay for the development manager over the next three years. Ms Harris agreed to work a four-day week to maximise the amount of funding for administration costs, and she pledged at the time of her appointment to provide “a united front for Ripon” by bringing together the different agendas.

But her successor will now be working five days a week as Coun Stanley admitted the job had proved to be a full-time post, with Ms Harris often working beyond her allotted hours. Mr Weston conceded he will face challenges when he takes up his new job, but stressed the city council is showing “great ambition” to ensure Ripon “shapes its own future”.

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