Seaton TIC - lease to be terminated

SEATON Tourist Information Centre faces imminent closure to make way for regeneration.

SEATON Tourist Information Centre faces imminent closure to make way for regeneration.

The town council has been directed by East Devon District Council to terminate the lease on the TIC - to ensure the delivery of the Visitor Centre project.

It is not known when the TIC will move premises and the town council is due to review options for the interim at next week's full council meeting.

Town clerk David Mears said: "It is unfortunate that the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) will have to move premises.

"However, we do understand that the TIC plays a vital role within our community and Seaton Town Council is actively looking for possible alternatives to ensure the TIC has a presence within Seaton, until the Visitor Centre is built.

"At least finding new premises and the upheaval of relocating will be taking place during the winter months, and not during the summer months, when tourism is at its height."

Mayor Sandra Semple fears the closure will have a knock-on effect on tourism.

She said: "It's going to be a real headache working out what to do.

"We don't know what EDDC is offering, if anything at all.

"We don't have enough information yet to discuss options.

"At some point, that area is going to be a building site. At the moment EDDC is talking about demolition of the old youth centre and public toilets and it's hard to know how the tourists can be attracted to a town in that situation - with reduced parking, no toilets, and no TIC.