Business and political leaders wantWest Midlands to be test-bed
WEST Midlands Mayor Andy Street wants the West Midlands to become the first region to reopen pubs and restaurants.
He wants the region to be a national test-bed for an early reopening of the tourism, hospitality and cultural sector.
That includes hotels, theatres and tourist attractions as well as pubs, restaurants and bars.
He issued the plea in a joint statement with Fiona Allan, chairwoman of the West Midlands Tourism Board and chief executive of Birmingham Hippodrome and Martin Sutherland, chairman of the West Midlands Cultural Leadership Board and chief executive of Coventry City of Culture 2021.
They have sent a joint letter to Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, asking for early opening.
Most shops were closed during the lockdown, with the exception of those selling food and a few others such as pharmacies.
Car showrooms and outdoor shops reopened on Monday, while many other non-essential retail outlets can do so on June 15.
Tourism, hospitality and cultural businesses in the West Midlands support more than 135,000 jobs and the sector contributes around £12.6 billion a year to the local economy.
But it has also been hit hardest by the lockdown and, with little or no trading revenue being generated, businesses have been almost entirely reliant on the furlough scheme to avoid wholesale redundancies and business closures.
“Our tourism, hospitality and cultural sector was the first to close under the lockdown and is likely to be the last to reopen,” said Mr Street.
“Even then, it will have to operate at a much-reduced capacity.
“But we believe we have a unique opportunity to re-establish the sector as a key economic driver in the region’s post-Covid-19 recovery, and we are asking the Government to pilot the West Midlands as the region where this sector opens up faster than in other areas.
“This way, we can lead the way and help strike the right balance between safety and outputs, allowing other regions to follow suit.
“It’s important for the West Midlands to build on its unique heritage and distinctive strengths and seize the opportunity to reset, rebuild and re-invent our region, and come back even stronger.”
Under the proposal, staff would return to work on a reduced, parttime basis until it is safe for normal activity to resume, and changes would have to be made to ensure social distancing is maintained, just as shops are required to make adjustments before they can reopen. The Covid-19 lockdown has had a major impact on the sector right across the region.
Figures show that 95 per cent of businesses are reporting a fall in revenue; more than 50 per cent are struggling with cashflow; more than 40 per cent have closed or ceased trading – with a further 35 per cent forecast to join them by August.
An earlier than planned reopening under a pilot scheme would provide a much-needed boost for the region’s key visitor destinations such as Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and the NEC, local leaders say.
It would also provide confidence to the region’s theatres, who are considering whether to cancel Christmas productions.
The Birmingham Hippodrome has just announced that it is extending its ‘dark’ period and will now not reopen until November 2 as things stand.
Theatre boss Fiona Allan said: “This region has incredible cultural assets, which attract visitors from around the country, including theatres, galleries, festivals, museums and heritage sites, not to mention our incredible food and beverage offer – and it is vital we find a way for these businesses to open as soon as possible.
“We need to be promoting our region as a visitor destination now, or we may miss the opportunities afforded by both Coventry City of Culture in 2021 and the Commonwealth Games in 2022.”
The British Travel & Tourism Show, a shop window for many of the region’s attractions, was due to take place at the NEC in March, but has been twice postponed and will now not take place until March 2021.
Paul Thandi, chief executive of the NEC Group, added: “We have already approached the Government about piloting public events on behalf of the UK venue and live events industry, so are well placed to contribute to this West Midlands pilot.
“This could act as a real beacon of hope for our industry in the West Midlands but also nationally for the whole of the live events sector. One of us opens, we are all open.”
We have a unique opportunity to re-establish the sector as a key economic driver. Mayor Andy Street