Corby Conservatives' tourism motion to be debated

The flagship policy from the local Conservatives, known as the “WeLoveCorby Tourism Policy”, pledges to capitalise upon Corby’s existing visitor attractions to vastly increase the number of visitors to the town.

They say that this will significantly increase the population base available for the leisure industry to market to, as well as diversifying the demographic.

The Conservatives say their plans will make Corby an attractive place for the leisure industry to invest, meaning that there will be more leisure and recreation facilities for local people to enjoy.

The proposals by Team Corby include employing a full-time tourism and marketing officer at Corby Council who will be tasked with raising the profile of Corby’s visitor attractions across the country.

They also propose to establish an annual marketing and events budget to encourage day trips and city breaks to Corby.

The Conservatives say that the initiative will cost £100,000 a year and would be paid for by incorporating the council’s leisure services into a trust fund which would raise the sum annually by avoiding liability for VAT and non-domestic rates.

The council motion is being proposed by the Leader of the Team Corby Conservatives, Cllr Rob McKellar.

He said: “There are exciting times ahead for Corby.

“The national economy has recovered and Corby is the fastest growing borough in the country.

“The ‘Team Corby’ Conservatives believe passionately in making Corby the entertainment capital of the East Midlands, and we feel that tourism is the right strategy to pursue to make this happen.

“Population growth and economic diversity are essential for bringing new leisure facilities to the area, and a successful tourist market will aid this.

“We live in an era of profound opportunity for Corby and its surrounding villages.

“The key tourist attractions and places of interest are already here, but it is up to us to deliver the investment needed to build a Corby of the future.”

The Conservatives first proposed investment in Corby’s leisure facilities through the tourist industry back in 2013 when they submitted a motion to Corby Council which led to the establishment of the Corby Visitor Forum and the launch of the Love Corby website.

‘Team Corby’ say that they are proud of the achievements to date, but insist that major investment is needed to really revolutionise Corby’s leisure industry.

In their motion they set out their vision which says, “We believe in a Corby that is ‘the talk of the nation’.

“A place where the residents are proud, the visitors impressed and the business prosperous.

“We see an opportunity for Corby to use its historical, natural and modern places of interest as well as its unique cultural heritage and events to build a tourism driven economy with something new always on offer.”

The policy also proposes the use of strategic partnerships with key stakeholders to broaden the funding streams available.

The motion is being seconded by the ‘Team Corby’ Conservatives’ spokesman for culture, leisure and communities, Cllr Kevin Watt.

He said: “Corby has all the right attributes to be a great tourist destination, and bringing more visitors to Corby will be a major boost for local leisure facilities.

“Corby deserves to enjoy fantastic facilities like ski domes, leisure villages and adventure centres to name but a few.

“To deliver these kind of facilities, we need to nurture the right economic conditions and this is what the WeLoveCorby tourism policy aims to do.”

A full copy of the motion and the Corby Conservatives’ tourism policy can be found here.