Visitor information centre closes in tourist town

Rochester Visitor Centre will close permanently on 19 April

Businesses in a Kent town popular with tourists have expressed anger at the imminent closure of the visitor information centre.

Medway Council said its service in Rochester High Street would close permanently on Friday due to budget cuts.

The Summer Dickens Festival in June and the English Festival in Gillingham have been axed for 2024.

A council spokesperson said it had to make "several tough decisions in the face of challenging financial pressures".

A Rochester shop owner said he would not be renewing his lease over the issue.

Our Little Cherub has been an independent shop on Rochester High Street selling furniture, clothes and toys for children for 32 years.

Owner Danny Slingsby said the changes were "another nail in the coffin" for his home town.

He said he was not prepared to renew his lease when it expires as the shop was "not sustaining us".

He said independent shops in Rochester were "fading fast".

"There's no backing for the high street. I feel sorry for the community," Mr Slingsby said.

Gwen Edney has run Memories antique shop for 20 years.

She said: "It's absolutely disgusting. People just won't come here, will they?"

Rochester High Street will not host the annual Summer Dickens Festival in 2024

Rochester, with its Norman castle, 11th Century cathedral and historic high street, is one of the major tourist destinations in Kent.

The decision to close the visitor information centre was made at a Medway Council budget meeting in February.

At the same meeting the council announced other cost-cutting measures including introducing parking charges at country parks, increased parking charges across Medway and the removal of certain concessions for swimming at the council’s leisure centres.

Rochester's Huguenot Museum is located directly above the visitor information centre in the same building and remains open.

Vince Maple, Medway Council leader, said: “Tourism is massively significant for Medway, and it was a really difficult decision to close the Visitor Information Centre.

"With the 91% cut in revenue support grant since 2010 alongside the wider financial challenges we knew we would have to take some difficult decisions.

"I am confident that we will continue to welcome the many visitors who arrive in Medway each year.”