PLANS to put rowing boats back on the River Severn will receive a huge boost if councillors agree to spend £30,000 on finding out whether it is a good idea.

Many pleasure boats have vanished from Worcester’s waters in recent years but they could soon return in a bid to boost tourism if councillors green light a more detailed study.

A meeting of Worcester City Council’s income generation committee, who are tasked with finding, developing and funding projects that will bring more money to the city, will decide today (October 9) whether the council should begin to look at costs, possible locations and who would be best suited to run it.

It is hoped the reintroduction of river boats would make the city and the River Severn more attractive to tourists and tie in with current developments on the riverside as well as future ones.

The key themes of the study would look at potential locations and their sustainability, examine nearby areas such as Stourport for comparison, assess the cost and potential income of the scheme as well as talk to various river users over the plans.

The plan to bring boats back was first raised by Councillor Louis Stephen, chairman of the policy and resources committee, during a meeting in July but it was decided it should be the council’s income generation subcommittee that agrees to the study.

Cllr Stephen called his proposal an “open suggestion” and stressed the need to work with river users to see whether it was safe.

Opinion on the council’s policy and resources committee was largely supportive of bringing the boats back to the River Severn but some thought the initial £30,000 price tag could be spent elsewhere.

Boat hire in Worcester all but ended with the closure of Pitchcroft Boating Station in 2014 - after more than 100 years in business.