Kirklees Council back Welcome to Yorkshire bailout with £79,000

The agency has been seeking the money from councils across Yorkshire due to a forecast £1m loss in the business rates it had been expecting following coronavirus and £400,000 less after suspending firms’ membership fees.

The stance of Kirklees, whose chief executive Jacqui Gedman was asked last year to provide strategic support to WtY as the agency struggled to recover from an expenses spending scandal under the leadership of former chief executive Sir Gary Verity, is in marked contrast to that of neighbouring Wakefield Council, which last week refused to pay a requested £78,000 to the body.

The move has been applauded by Martyn Bolt, a Conservative councillor for Mirfield, a keen cyclist and a former national board member of the Cyclists’ Touring Club.

Coun Bolt said: “The cost of showcasing Kirklees’ wonderful scenery around the world via the coverage of the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire far exceed the council’s current contribution.

“As we are already seeing via the tourism brought by TV shows such as Last of the Summer Wine, that income may continue to flow for many years.”

Between 2014 and 2018 Kirklees Council gave WtY a total of £35,676. Kirklees has featured in two of the four Tour de Yorkshire races so far – the 2017 event and the inaugural race in 2015.

Huddersfield was set to be a host location in 2020 until the coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement of the race.

Speaking last year Council Leader Clr Shabir Pandor described the race as “a fantastic opportunity to showcase Huddersfield and Kirklees on a truly international stage and to provide the warmest of welcomes to visitors from all over the world.”

A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: “Each council will take a view of the importance of tourism and the hospitality sector to the region’s economic recovery.

“In Kirklees we remain committed to supporting Welcome to Yorkshire alongside the vast majority of neighbouring councils.

“We see their role to champion the region as a destination as even more important in the current context.

“That is why the council will follow through on the funding that was originally earmarked for this purpose in July.”

Coun Bolt accepted that WtY had experienced issues around its spending and said it had sought to demonstrate better financial accountability.

He added: “My question to those authorities who have withdrawn funding is, who will market their areas if Welcome to Yorkshire goes under? Somebody will have to have the funds and aspiration to run a tourism body on a commercial basis. It needs to be bold, dynamic and entrepreneurial. Welcome to Yorkshire did the job. It sold Yorkshire to the world.”

Following the Wakefield Council decision last Tuesday, Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive James Mason said there was a "natural fear" for the future of the organisation. But at a board meeting two days later, he said that the agency did have a "long-term future" after promises of private and public sector support.

Councils in North and South Yorkshire have previously already agreed to contribute almost £600,000 towards the bailout, while other authorities like Leeds Council are yet to make decisions on if they provide the requested support.

Welcome to Yorkshire has been contacted for comment.

Additional reporting by Chris Burn.