Purpose

To recommend an amendment to the budget.

Content

Resolved:
 
That Cabinet
recommends that Full Council:
 
Delegate to the
Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration, responsibility to
take forward the procurement of the Destination Management Plan
through VisitWiltshire, in accordance with legal and procurement
requirements.
 
Reason for
decision:
 
Production of a
Destination Management Plan is a key requirement of
VisitEngland for LVEPs, and the
expectation from VisitEngland is that
this work
should be targeted
for completion by March 2026.
 
It has been
identified that given the requirement for sector engagement and
the
timescale in which
this work is to be completed, VisitWiltshire as the accredited
Destination Management Organisation and Local Visitor Economic
Partnership
are well placed to
complete this work.
 

It is considered that VisitWiltshire are best placed to produce the
Destination

Management Plan given the need for the LVEP to lead production of
the

strategy, for which VisitWiltshire are the designated authority. In
addition, this

option complies with VisitEngland’s requirement for LVEPs to
receive public sector funding, which would be strengthened by
VisitWiltshire being funded to

undertake this work. Thirdly, the production of the Destination
Management plan requires the producer to engage with the Wiltshire
visitor economy, for which VisitWiltshire are the key contact.
 
Funding for
VisitWiltshire was approved to cease at the end of the financial
year
2023/24 as part of
the 2023/24 Budget approved by Full Council in February
2023 and approved
again as part of the 2024/25 Budget approved by Full
Council in February
2024. The proposal included within this report reverses
those decisions and
therefore being presented to ensure due governance
processes are
followed as part of the Budget and Policy Framework.