Last-minute deal saves town centre (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Last-minute deal saves town centre

BOURTON'S threatened visitor information centre (VIC) has been saved due to an 11th hour deal between Cotswold District Council and the village Chamber of Commerce.

Councillors agreed on Tuesday to a rescue plan put together by the Chamber, which will in future run the VIC with grant support from the council.

It means that the VIC, which was scheduled to close at the end of this financial year in April, will carry on business, providing visitor information and taking bookings for local B&Bs and guest houses.

Councillors also agreed to give the Chamber a £30,000 grant for the next financial year, £21,000 for the following year and £12,000 the year after.

It is possible some of that funding will be "in kind", such as continuing to employ a member of staff who will be managed by the Chamber, but the details of the arrangement still need to be ironed out between council chief executive Bob Austin and Chamber chairman Martin Macklin.

Bourton district councillor Sheila Jeffery said she was delighted with the agreement.

"It is good news. It's the Chamber that did all the work," said Cllr Jeffery.

Under its proposals, the Chamber forecasts that by 2008/09 it will be making a trading profit of almost £20,000 a year from increased accommodation bookings, ticket sales and advertising revenues.