‘Tactics feel like a gun held to our heads’, says council

THE LEADER of Ryedale District Council has suggested that it might be for the best if Welcome to Yorkshire actually folds so that a new tourism body can be formed and make a fresh start.

The comment is made in the response sent by the authority’s leader Keane Duncan to Welcome to Yorkshire chair Peter Box in which he likens the tourism body’s negotiating tactics to “a gun held to our heads”.

The Conservative councillor wrote: “I recently met with your chief executive (James Mason) and I was pleased with the honest, frank discussion. I really do not envy the task before him and the team at this critical time.

“But, sadly, many Ryedale councillors remain unconvinced about the future viability and credibility of the organisation.

“As leader, I cannot go against that strength of feeling. More importantly, I feel that the tourism sector itself is deeply doubtful of WTY’s performance. It falls to the organisation to prove its value via its actions and outputs at this critical time. Until we see those results, and the financial outlook improve, we feel it would be reckless to contribute further taxpayer money.

“It is clearly unsustainable and unfair for local authorities to be asked to hand over greater and greater amounts of cash, every time told that if we do not do so then WTY will fold. It feels like a gun held to our heads.”

The letter concludes: “I really do wish you luck, but if ultimately you can not get back on to a level footing, the best thing for the public purse and for the tourism sector at this difficult time might actually be for WTY to fold and a successor organisation to be established in a managed and controlled way.”