£1m flood recovery plan for Midlands' tourism

Regional development agency Advantage West Midlands has today announced a £1 million package of support to help the region’s tourism economy recover from the effects of the flooding last month.

The package includes £500,000 funding towards the damage caused to the Severn Valley Railway as a result of the floods.

Following more than three times the average rainfall in late June, many areas in the West Midlands have suffered from major flooding and subsidence.

Rural tourism businesses in Worcestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Staffordshire have been affected, either through damaged caused as a direct result of the floods or as a result of lost revenue to visitor attractions.

The recovery package of support from Advantage West Midlands includes:

. Funding of up to £500,000 to secure the repair of the Severn Valley Railway which has suffered major damage in the floods
. An investment of £250,000 towards the Engine House project, a key visitor attraction currently in development at Highley, which will increase further the number of visitors to the Severn Valley Railway in the long-term
. A £250,000 marketing and publicity campaign, working with local authorities and tourism attractions, to encourage more visitors the area over the rest of the year
. European funding worth around £750,000 is also likely to be made available for repairs and will support the Advantage West Midlands-led recovery activity and is in addition to national Government response.

John Edwards, Advantage West Midlands Chief Executive, said: “The Severn Valley Railway is a unique attraction in the west of our region as it is a gateway into the counties of Shropshire and Worcestershire and moves people along the route to visit attractions along the way.

“We need to get it up and running again as quickly as possible – these floods have been devastating to this attraction, which brings in 250,000 visitors each year and it is imperative swift action is taken.

“The volunteers and members of the Railway have launched their appeal to restore the track and it is important this continues, but the funding will enable us to get the route working again quicker, generating visitors and money for the local economy.

“We are not simply giving away the money to carry out the repairs – by investing in the Engine House refurbishment and raising the profile of the tourism sector in the West Midlands  nationally, we will create a sustainable recovery.

“Importantly, we will continue to monitor this situation closely as there may be issues which have yet to emerge which require our intervention.”

John Leach, Severn Valley Railway Marketing Manager, said: “We are extremely grateful for the support from Advantage West Midlands which will help us in getting the railway back into operation.

“We are particularly pleased that the importance of the Severn Valley Railway to the West Midlands tourism economy has been recognised.

“The Engine House project is an integral part of our plans for the future and we are hopeful to have this project up and running by the time the track is fully repaired.

“However, we wish to stress that it is vital that the appeal for public support continues as we still have a great deal of work to do in order to get back to full health.”

Philip Dunne MP for Ludlow, said: "I welcome this constructive response from Advantage West Midlands in helping Severn Valley Railway fund its massive repair job.

“The Severn Valley Railway plays an important role in the tourism economy of south east Shropshire.

“Many people and businesses will be keen to see it back to normal as soon as possible, come rain or shine."

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