£200k boost to Solihull’s culture and tourism follows ‘historic lack of investment’

Culture and tourism in Solihull is to receive a £200,000 boost, with the council admitting that investment in these areas had been “lacking” in recent years.

The six-figure sum will be used to recruit two new project managers, on fixed term contracts, to help promote the borough.

Work will also be carried out to “get the word out” via the council’s website, and marketing and invest in The Core, to help drive up visitor numbers.

The one-off windfall was made available after it became apparent that the council would not have to pay a Corporation Tax bill it had budgeted for.

Finance manager Lauren Beach said: “In recent years we’ve had a historic lack of investment in culture and the arts in the borough, it’s not what we’re known for at the moment.

“But with the opportunity that has come along with the Commonwealth Games we’re trying to capitalise on that really, so it seems timely to make this investment.”

Cllr Joe Tildesley, cabinet member for leisure, tourism and sport, said he was pleased to have a “very, very healthy sum” to plough into the department.

“I’m really excited and delighted that the money has been found and I’m delighted that tourism is going to get this very, very much-needed shot in the arm.

“I think we can make a difference with these posts. Obviously they’re not going to be permanent posts because this is a one-off sum of money that we’ve managed to obtain, but I think we can do some great work.”

One of the main challenges for Cllr Tildesley’s portfolio, which was only created last year, has been to find the money to invest in its priority areas.

Officers have said they are now looking for other sources of funding in the future.

Cllr Mark Wilson (Green, Smith’s Wood) hopes that the investment will help draw attention to Solihull’s historic sites and links to the past.

“The history goes back a long way. I mean CastleBromwich/Park Hall, there’s links to a plot [to assassinate] Elizabeth I from there.

“That’s something that a lot of people who live around Castle Brom and that area probably don’t know anything about. So it’s things like that … it gets your imagination going.

“And I mean Bacons End and Smith’s Wood, their names go back to the 15th century … 1447, I think, Smith’s Wood was first mentioned.”

Cllr Tildesley agreed that work was needed to promote the past and sell sites like Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens to “a much, much wider audience”.

He praised a recent exhibition, in Touchwood, which highlighted how Solihull High Street had looked in decades gone by and believed there was more scope for similar projects.

Read more: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/200k-boost-solihulls-culture-tourism-16894463