The Economy Overview and Scrutiny Panel met to discuss tourism in Worcestershire, government policies to support the Worcestershire economy, and the performance and budget for 2025/26. The panel also discussed and agreed to revisions to its work programme for the coming year. A recommendation was made for Worcestershire County Council to consider a plan to improve accessibility at Alvechurch Station.

Tourism in Worcestershire

Lorna Robinson, Visitor Economy and Destination Manager at Visit Worcestershire, presented a report on tourism in the county, highlighting the successes of the Destination Management Plan (DMP). The DMP had three key objectives:

• The Worcestershire experience
• The brand and raising the perception of Worcestershire as a holiday destination
• The Worcestershire welcome, which was around accessibility and being investment ready for new opportunities

According to the report, Worcestershire's visitor economy has reached £1.5 billion, exceeding the £1 billion target set for 2028. The number of stays in the county has increased by 12%, against a national decrease of 10%, and visitor spending has increased by 20.1%. Visitor satisfaction remains high, with 91% of visitors very satisfied with their stay.

Visit Worcestershire is launching a new heritage campaign, focusing on four key themes: royals and rebels, democracy, the creatives, and the industrial revolution. The Taste Worcestershire campaign, celebrating the county's food and drink sector, is also launching, with over 1,000 vouchers already downloaded.

Councillor Nik Price raised the issue of indirect impacts of tourism, such as supply chains and farmers supplying food to hotels. Lorna Robinson said she would take this back to Visit England to see if they had any data on this.

Councillor Seb James raised concerns about the closure of pubs and hospitality businesses, and asked if there was a ring-fenced strategy for the food and drink sector. Lorna Robinson responded that the Taste Worcestershire campaign was created because of these concerns, and that a consultancy programme is working with hospitality businesses to help them put strategies in place.

Councillor Alan Bailes asked about accessibility at Alvechurch Station, where the lifts are frequently out of action, preventing passengers with disabilities from accessing the northbound platform. He proposed a plan to build a footpath to improve accessibility, costing £50,000, and asked the committee to recommend to Cabinet that funding be allocated to this project.

Gary Woodman, Assistant Director for Economy, said that he would have a conversation with the ward member and with West Midlands Rail to address the issue. Councillor Bailes asked that he be included in these conversations.

Councillor Dave Edmonds asked about the possibility of sponsoring TV programmes to highlight the area, as has been done in the Dales and the Cotswolds. Lorna Robinson responded that Visit Worcestershire has done TV advertising using SkyAdSmart and ITVX, but does not have the budget for a full-scale sponsorship.

Councillor Martin Allen asked if it was possible to determine which towns were struggling the most, as the overall picture presented was quite rosy. Lorna Robinson responded that once the economic impact data for all the district areas was available, it might be possible to see if tourism was growing in all areas.

Councillor Marcus Hart, Chair of the Economy Overview and Scrutiny Panel, asked what was being done to encourage visitors to the West Midland Safari Park and the Severn Valley Railway to stay longer and visit other attractions in the area, such as the town of Bewdley. Lorna Robinson responded that both the Safari Park and the Severn Valley Railway are on the ALVET board and are aware of the push for overnight stays.

The committee recommended that Worcestershire County Council consider a plan to improve accessibility at Alvechurch Station.

Government Policies to Support the Worcestershire Economy

Gary Woodman presented a report on government policies to support the Worcestershire economy, focusing on the modern industrial strategy, the Business Growth Service, the Get Britain Working White Paper, Skills England, and the Careers Enterprise Company.

The modern industrial strategy identifies eight priority sectors for business investment: advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services. Gary Woodman noted that Worcestershire has a wide demographic and diverse sectors, making it complex to understand the impact of these policies.

The Business Growth Service was launched to provide businesses with support to start up, scale, and grow. Gary Woodman explained that the Growth Hub becomes important locally to diagnose what advice and guidance businesses are looking for, and to translate the national service into local impact. Councillor Nik Price asked how the Business Growth Service differed from the old Growth Hub model, and how many Worcestershire SMEs had engaged with the service since its launch. Gary Woodman responded that the Growth Hub operates as a referral and signposting service, rather than providing advice directly, and that it was difficult to say how many businesses had accessed the Business Growth Service so far.

Councillor Alan Bailes asked how hospitality fits into the eight priority sectors, given the decline in hospitality employees. Gary Woodman responded that tourism typically isn't one of these sectors because it is seen as a UK sector, rather than one with potential for further growth.

The Get Britain Working White Paper focuses on moving economically inactive people back into the workforce. Gary Woodman noted that Worcestershire's economic activity rates are already just below the 80% target, but that there are rising levels of unemployment, particularly among young people.

Skills England aims to build the nation's skills and support economic growth. Gary Woodman explained that Skills England is charged with identifying employers' skills needs and ensuring that the local training system meets those needs.

The Careers Enterprise Company works to connect schools with employers and provide work experience opportunities for young people. Gary Woodman noted that engaging small businesses in work experience is a challenge, and that the volume of funding is not always sufficient to achieve the task.

Councillor Seb James asked about engaging universities to provide work experience for students. Gary Woodman responded that there were good conversations going with the Worcestershire Business School, and that a national pilot was working with trainee teachers at Worcester University to give them experience of work.

Performance and Budget 2025/26 In-Year Budget Monitoring

Dave Corbett and Sarah McDonald presented a report on the performance and budget for 2025/26. The report indicated a break-even position after the use of £11.6 million of reserves and £33.6 million of exceptional financial support. Overspends were predicted in adult and children's social care, mitigated by underspends in other services.

Savings of £12.5 million were targeted, with 82% rated as green (delivered or expected to be delivered). The forecast for reserves showed a decrease from £93.7 million to £70.7 million, with only £13 million unearmarked and deemed usable.

The capital programme totalled £495 million, with £180 million planned for 2025/26 and £24 million spent at quarter one. A review of the capital programme was being undertaken to consider reductions in borrowing relating to several schemes.

Councillor Nik Price asked about the rationale behind removing improvements to railway stations, particularly Redditch Railway Station. Sarah McDonald responded that it was part of a range of options being considered by the cabinet.

Councillor Alan Bailes stated that he found it difficult to believe that there were no plans showing an existing sewer under Redditch Railway Station, and asked what the cost and time delivery for dealing with it would be. He also asked what monies had been allocated to Old Church railway station for accessibility improvements. Sarah McDonald said she would have to come back in writing with the specifics.

Councillor Martin Allen asked where the £6 million reduction in borrowing for highways and footways was coming from. Sarah McDonald responded that it would just be less borrowing, as there was a grant in place for highways and footpath maintenance. Councillor Allen asked if the councillors' highways funding would be cut. Sarah McDonald responded that all options were being looked at.

Councillor Chris McSweeney noted that the cabinet briefing reports stated that the additional allocation of funding for local member schemes for highways and footpaths would be removed. He also noted that the report mentioned Rushwick railway station, which does not exist.

Refresh of the Scrutiny Work Programme 2025/26

The panel discussed and agreed to revisions to its work programme for the coming year. The panel agreed to schedule a discussion on the economic challenges of small town centres for January, and to tie that in with a discussion on support for small towns. The panel also agreed to schedule a discussion on the Shrub Hill Quarter Development for November, if possible.