WEST Lancashire councillors will next week decide whether to give plans to revive the Ormskirk MotorFest a £17,500 boost.
Last month The Champion revealed that members of the borough council's cabinet will discuss whether the Ormskirk MotorFest, which attracted thousands of visitors over the August Bank Holiday last year, should be held again in the hope of repeating the economic boost the market town enjoyed as a result of last year's inaugural event.
Now a report presented to cabinet members is recommending that the local authority gives organisers Aintree Circuit Club £17,500 to help cover the costs of a repeat event, with a decision set to be made on holding another event next Tuesday (January 17).
The report, which also suggests using commercial sponsorship to help offset costs, reads:
"The recent MotorFest helped significantly raise the profile of Ormskirk both regionally and nationally. The MotorFest presented the opportunity for the Council to be involved in a ‘good news' event that was well received by both the local / business communities and the event participants.
"If the event were proposed to be held again in 2012 then negotiations, decisions and appropriate funding would need to be in place fairly quickly in order to give a workable lead in time for good event planning. The successful running of the
first event has helped provide a good template for the organisation and delivery of any future events."
The first Ormskirk MotorFest event, which was held on August 28, was hailed ”an outstanding success“ by the borough council after an estimated 10,000 people visited the town to see more than 200 classic cars and motorcycles in a series of parades and displays, but while the cabinet report recommends giving a repeat event the green light no firm decision has yet been made on whether to repeat the event.
The decision is expected to be made by cabinet members next Tuesday night at the council's headquarters in Ormskirk.