Shropshire rally boosted economy but ‘lessons to be learned’

A rally that took place in Shropshire boosted the local economy by hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But organisers have been told that there are lessons to be learned if they want to run similar events in the future.

An estimated 6,670 people officially watched the the Hills Ford Stages Rally over the weekend of September 19 and 20 in designated areas.

However, many people also lined the routes to watch 502 competitors race past.

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Surveys indicate the event resulted in a spend of £262,766. That is made of £129.532 being spent on accommodation, £63,454 on hospitality, and £69,590 on ancillary local expenditure and infrastructure.

An allowance of £30 per spectator in the designated areas is, according to Shropshire Council, a conservative estimate on admission, food, drink, and transport.

Therefore, it said the total spectator expenditure of approximately £200,100 is considered a plausible estimate.

However, the organisers estimate that the combined expenditure was in the region of £500,000.

Shropshire Council’s Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee discussed the rally’s impact on Thursday (November 12).

A report by Shrewsbury Business Improvement District (BID) said the ceremonial start drew slightly more people into the town centre than a typical Saturday. But they spent less per purchase and the rest of the weekend “was weak”. Across the Friday to Sunday, data showed that town-centre card spend was eight per cent lower than the same weekend in 2025.

The second day was also the weakest Sunday during August and September, but the BID acknowledged that the competitive stages ran in south Shropshire.

No data is available to show the economic impact the rally had on the wider county area.

Councillor Chris Naylor said that two parishes within his Burnell ward were in favour of the event, while one was against.

“I tried to support the two and also back the one,” said Chris Naylor, who even quit the Liberal Democrats group over the Cabinet’s decision to grant the road closures, before later re-joining.

“I think, strategically, it’s impressive that this happened. It’s hard to get new things off the ground.

“It’s good that we tried, but of course there were some issues, like being in the [Shropshire Hills] National Landscape or some of the choices of the locations.

“I do hope the rally will be considering coming back next year and in the future.

“But one of two farms on my patch had to re-adjust their arrangements and didn’t take stock to market, so probably had a net cost.

“I would certainly encourage the rally, if it comes back again, to be trying to work closely with those parishes and focus on those that want to come and take the closed stages from the parishes and communities that don’t.”

Councillor Brendan Mallon (Reform UK, Tern) said that you can’t please everyone all the time.

“On balance, I think this is a good activity to have in Shropshire, or anywhere,” he said.

“It is popular. It will bring people in. There must be some sort of economic benefit to it. I certainly would not want this to disappear and never come back.

“But I do appreciate the comments about parish councils being consulted earlier and listened to.”

Councillor Alex Wagner, deputy leader of Shropshire Council and portfolio holder for transformation and economic growth, said it was a really balanced call that Cabinet made.

“I think we found it was a bit of a mixed bag,” he said.

“We didn’t have a massive influx of really positive footfall through Shrewsbury town centre.

“But it was a lot higher than last year, and the Saturday for the launch seemed to go well. In terms of public feedback, I think it was largely positive.

“I know the route is getting a lot of attention, but of course it’s a rally, so it won’t be the same route every year by nature.

“We want economic growth, we want events to be able to have a go here.

“I think we probably would have regretted saying ‘Shropshire’s closed for business, we don’t want this’.”

There was suggestion by a member of the public about the council breaking down each into sections when voting on closing roads, rather than on the whole.

Councillor Tom Dainty, deputy portfolio for communities and environment, agreed there were merits in that.

“It was the first time the rally had taken place within Shropshire,” he said.

“We can move forward should the position come back that the rally would like to take place again. And we can evolve the way Shropshire [Council] approaches things.”

One of the rally organisers who was at the meeting said: “it’s no point putting a stage on where we’re going to get a lot of grief from the locals”.

“So, we’re not going to go out there and upset them,” he said.

“A lot of the parish councils have now been asked to submit a request for some donations, for instance, if they’re having problems with their internet.

“We have some surplus that we want to put back into the parishes.”

Another representative added: “We don’t want to use the stages time and time again, but we would be looking to use some of the Shropshire Hills.

“We have decided that we will pay so much per mile to each parish that was involved in the actual live stage.

“We would love to come back, but would like to drop two stages and introduce two new ones. The amount of work involved in creating a new stage is monumental.”

He added that the firm went around the affected farms and households about 15 months prior to the event to gauge opinion, and talked to most people four times.

“We need to sit down with a select few people with the council and draw up a plan of what we would like to use and what you would allow us to use,” he said.

“We were really pleased with how many people were standing on the roadside and in their garden waving the cars go past.

“We had change route and timings because of the traffic [especially at Weston Park], but delighted with the reception we got. You’re always going to get some people who don’t like it.”

Councillor Ed Potter (Con, Loton), who chaired the meeting, said there are some valid lessons to be learned.

“I think this is something that adds a benefit to Shropshire in terms of residents do enjoy it,” he said.

“But I think we, as a committee, can look at this at a high level and formulate a few recommendations.”

He suggested members looked around the impact on the National Landscape, how communication can be enhanced, and how a liaison group that includes local stakeholders can try and iron out any problems.

“Local members particularly have a great deal of knowledge of their area and will be able to flag issues at an early stage,” said Councillor Potter.

Further recommendations, which were agreed, include putting forward a suggestion for the council to look at each stage and the practicalities, and to give strong weight to the areas that are supportive of the rally.