LYME Regis Tourist Information Centre office will close its doors permanently tomorrow (Friday) at 3pm.
Dorset Council and Lyme Regis Town Council have said they are in “active discussions” about a future tourism service in the town, but the current office at Guildhall Cottage in Bridge Street will close tomorrow.
The closure comes after Lyme Regis Town Council, which owns the building, terminated the lease for the Dorset Council-run Tourist Information Centre, as it plans to take over the space to expand its offices.
Dorset Council then ran a public consultation on the future of the Tourist Information Centre, saying its preferred option would be to close the facility, which costs £87,000 a year to run, and no longer provide a face-to-face service.
A total of 1,128 responses were received, mostly from individuals and some from local businesses and organisations. The responses showed “overwhelming” support for a continued face to face service. Many suggested the service should be run from the Jubilee Pavilion on Marine Parade instead.
The two councils have said they are now holding discussions again over the future of the service.
The Tourist Information Centre has actually been closed to the public since lockdown restrictions came into place in March, but it was hoped the facility would reopen.
Instead, staff have been clearing out the office over the past few weeks.
On social media today, they commented: “Thank you to all our customers and visitors who have made our job so enjoyable, we will miss you all!”
Enquiries can still be made by calling 01297 442138 or emailing LTIC@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
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