Tourist cash lifeline

TOWN councillors have pledged £50,000 to keep Burnham Tourist Information Centre open until November as a new team tries to save it.

Without the cash "lifeline" the seaside resort's vital service would have closed on March 31.

Burnham councillor Neville Jones said: "The cash offers the centre a vital breathing time while a team of tourist figureheads tries to find a way to stop the centre from closing and the town suffering."

Some councillors were against such a huge sum, including councillor Chris Williams, who believed £30,000 would be adequate if Sedgemoor put in £15,000 and local tourist businesses £5,000.

He said: "We will run a great risk if other bodies don't contribute, I hope the money will not just be poured down the drain.

"My proposal would give the TIC more time and allow others to come forward."

The town council voted in favour of Mr Jones' plans.

The group of interested parties was created after cash-strapped Sedgemoor District Council said it cannot afford to run the centres and they could close.

More than 60 people, including TIC staff, crammed into the Old Courthouse in Burnham for a rearranged emergency meeting organised by Sedgemoor and the town's councils.

The group consists of long-standing Burnham and district councillor Neville Jones, Burnham Holiday Village's Graham Plant and Burnham Chamber of Trade vice-chairman Tom Ashton and member Jonathan Walter.

Joining them is Les Barber from a local travel firm, Somerset Tourism Association's Bob Nicholson, Cheddar Caves' Bob Smart and Pontins' Michael Clarke.

Completing the team are businessman Roger Keen, town council clerk Eileen Shaw, Burnham and Cheddar TICs manager Annette Haggett and district council corporate director Doug Bamsey.

The centre's budget and revenue were made public for the first time at the meeting last week.

Gross expenditure for 2009-10 is £126,570 and income £44,400, meaning an £82,130 net annual loss.

Mr Bamsey called it a tough decision but council costs and reduced Government support have added to the problem.

Last year, Sedgemoor cut £100,000 from the tourist centres' budgets, and while they received £400,000 from the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives (LABGI) to keep them operating another year, this was running dry.

Mr Bamsey said: "As a consequence we've no cash to keep the centres running.

"Therefore, and despite the Burnham TIC's excellent and award-winning work to maximise income and minimise subsidies, it will have to close unless other partners can take it on."

Mr Jones revealed the seafront centre is secure until October because the town council's finance committee decided to award it a "significant sum", while the group tries to discover a solution.

The group is set to meet in about a week to reflect on the meeting and plan its next steps.