Information centre to close amid lack of funding

Minehead Information Centre, based in the Beach Hotel on Minehead Seafront, has not reopened at all this year.

A long-running information centre in a popular seaside town is closing due to a lack of sustainable funding.

Minehead Information Centre, based in the Beach Hotel on Minehead Seafront, has not reopened at all this year.

The centre previously received grant funding from the Hinkley Point C Mitigation fund which decreased each year as it was expected that alternative income sources would be found to sustain it.

This did not happen and the centre's trustees made the decision to close the centre in January which Somerset Council said it was "sorry to hear about".

Sally Turner, manager of Minehead Visitor Centre described the closure as "sad for Minehead"

The team will hand back the keys to the centre on Monday, bringing an end to a service that has helped visitors for years.

Five part-time staff have lost their jobs as a result of the closure.

Sally Turner, the centre's manager, said she was "sad" for the Minehead community.

"If somebody gets off the bus or the train and gets good information about what is going on, they are more likely to go on and spend in the town because they're having a nice time," Ms Turner said.

'Face to face'

"I think having the centre boosted the local economy.

"There's a feeling you can get everything on the internet, but that is not what we experienced. Some people like to come in and speak to someone face-to-face."

While the centre's website, MineheadBay.co.uk, would remain online, its social media pages would be shut down.

A spokesperson for Somerset Council said it was "sorry to hear about the closure of the centre".

"Somerset Council has been supporting the service with contributions from EDF in connection with the Hinkley Point C development and would be happy to discuss the remainder of that fund and explore if there are other Hinkley options that may be open to the team," they added.