10/10/07

SUPPORTING TOURISM IN BOURNEMOUTH

John spoke in the debate on Economic Regeneration in Westminster Hall when he raised the point that one of the problems with the Revenue Support Grant was that it was not structured in such a way to be helpful to Bournemouth.

John pointed out that there had been cases regarding transport in which additional money was conditional on the provision of bus lanes, even in places where they were not wanted. 

The biggest thing to affect all coastal towns, including Bournemouth, he said, was the abolition of the grant for day visitors which used to be part of the Revenue Support Grant.  The removal of the grant had been acutely damaging for Bournemouth and all other major resorts.