West Midlands Informal Recreation Study

LUC and Les Lumsdon Associates were commissioned to assess the value of informal recreation to the West Midlands’s economy and the relationship between informal recreation and the changing role of land managers in the region.

Foot and Mouth Disease provided the main impetus for the investigation, since it was the loss of countryside access in 2001 which caused severe economic hardship for individual businesses and entire rural communities. As a result many people came to realise how dependent their economic livelihood was on casual enjoyment of the countryside.

The study focused on establishing an overall picture of the opportunities for informal recreation in the region, determined estimates of current and potential levels of use, the relative importance of recreation and its impact on the economy at sub-regional (county and district) level, and the resources (financial and personnel) required to achieve future targets and goals. The research used the Mortimer Trail as a specific case study, drew on literature and information gathered through consultations, as well as interpreting national survey data such as the UK Leisure Day Visits Survey.

The study concluded that in 2003 informal recreation accounted for at least £420 million annual expenditure by people visiting and using the region’s network of rights of way and open spaces. Expenditure was through the purchase of fuel, food, admission charges and selected shopping activities by leisure day trips and a proportion of day visitors to the region. In total these direct benefits amounted to 0.7% of the region’s domestic product.

A subsequent promotional leaflet produced by Advantage West Midlands and the Countryside Agency in March 2004 ‘Informal Recreation and the West Midlands Economy’ emphasised that well-targeted investment in informal recreation and recreational facilities can bring significant gains to the region’s economy and health.