Anger at £25K study into Ledbury's tourism

A Herefordshire market town has published the outcome of a £25,000 study on how to boost local tourism.

But one local says the town has overlooked a ready-made, low-cost plan to achieve this.

Following a series of engagements with local stakeholders, Ledbury Town Council’s “Tourism, Events and Markets Action Plan” now recommends setting up a “market growth group with traders and supportive retailers”, and recruiting a tourism and markets manager.

The town council will now set up an 18-strong Tourism, Events & Markets Action Plan (TEMAP) Project Board that will meet at least monthly to oversee “the lifecycle of the overarching TEMAP project”.

A town council representative said it and other market towns had received government funding for the project via Herefordshire Council, “in support of its economic development plans for Ledbury”.

But the scheme has annoyed one local entrepreneur who says he has already shown how a revived farmers’ market could be made to work – in a new public space in the town intended for such events.

Robin Oakey, who jointly runs The Barn next to the town’s St Katherine’s Square, said his plans faced “bureaucracy and negativity” which was “like wading through mud”.

Through a pilot farmer’s market he organised and funded on the square in April was well received by traders and visitors, “there is no point in continuing when you have such resistance”, he added.

The new plan says St Katherine’s would be “a great space for hosting additional market stalls” during larger events in the town.

“With a relatively minor investment in electric connectivity and greenery, it would be a much more attractive and appealing space for all,” it adds.

But Mr Oakey said the original design of the square, also paid for by a substantial grant to the town, had failed to include these – and he had not been supported when he tried to address the lack of greenery.

“So much could have been achieved with all that money,” he said.