Rally receives mixed response from traders (From Gazette & Herald)

Rally receives mixed response from traders

A RECORD number of rally enthusiasts flocked to Ryedale last weekend to witness the nail-biting climax of the Pirelli rally, as Yorkshire-born Johnny Milner clinched the international championship title.

It was the biggest turn-out for a UK rally this year, and Malton and Norton town centre manager Peter Mudge is proud of the way the area hosted the event.

"Ryedale's towns provided a terrific welcome for the British rally," he said. "Trackrod, the district council, police and many individuals and businesses joined together to ensure this was a great weekend for Malton and all of Ryedale. Jonny Milner securing the international championship in his home county proved the icing on the cake."

However, the rally has left a fall-out in its wake, with local businesses in disagreement over the benefits for Malton. Several shop-keepers complained of a loss of trade due to the limited access to the town for the general public. Local butcher Derek Fox said: "My takings were down by a half. They shut the whole town off and put barriers all over the place."

But it was a different story elsewhere, for businesses that provide food and accommodation. Phil Thompson, manager of the Clarence Inn on Wheelgate in Malton felt that the event was definitely a good thing. "It was excellent," he said. "I went over with my kids to see it and they were fascinated. It was good for the town and in terms of business it was most certainly good, takings were up."

A spokesman for J K W Paley & Sons greengrocers said takings were down by 70pc on Saturday. He believes that the rally should have been held in the town's car park rather than the market place. "We have customers coming from all over and cars are a major consideration for shoppers. If they can't park near the shops, then they aren't going to come. It may be good for the guest houses but it's a disaster for the shops."

In response to the complaints, Peter Mudge said: "Obviously there are lessons to be learnt for future years and I believe these include always striving to provide extra information about what is happening, and securing every inch of available parking for regular shoppers.

"But that said, the worldwide publicity - including coverage on BBC, Channel 4 and 130 other TV channels, write-ups in local, regional, national and international newspapers and magazines and all associated publicity which is still to be produced - will prove extremely beneficial over the coming months and years.

"In advance, I tried to impress that, while large amounts of money will be generated as a result of the rally, business should open in support of the event rather than in anticipation of money being made there and then. I would like to thank the many businesses and organisations which did contribute."

Colin Hesford, a key organiser of the event from Ryedale District Council, said he was delighted with how it all went. "I thought it was excellent - a great result. You can't please everybody all the time. There may be lessons to learn but it certainly did Ryedale an awful lot of good. At the end of the season, when many beds would have been empty, it brought a lot of money into the economy."

Updated: 11:56 Wednesday, October 01, 2003