Is Welshpool being short changed?

Welshpool Town Council is to quiz Powys County Council after it was revealed the regional authority is still bank rolling Brecon’s Tourist Information Centre (TIC).

And in a double whammy, Powys could well cut the subsidy it gives to the town council to help run its TIC opposite the Spar (pictured).

The town council has called for equality after it stepped in to save the town’s TIC, which was under threat to close in a 2008 restructuring to Powys' tourism services.

At that time, Powys offered subsidies to community organisations or town councils to run the TICs or they would be closed under a cost cutting exercise.

Welshpool’s town council stepped in and has since turned its TIC into a multi service facility running at a profit.

But it has now been revealed that Brecon’s TIC was never taken over by a third party and is still being run by the county council, and the town council wants answers. It is believed Welshpool will demand the same level of finance currently afforded to Brecon.

MyWelshpool quizzed the county council and has received the following response from a senior spokesperson which has confirmed that the subsidies currently paid could well be cut too.

“In 2008, Powys County Council restructured its tourism service, including TIC provision across the county. The council was successful in handing over the running of a number of TICs to community organisations or town councils.

“However, it was decided by the council to retain Brecon TIC under its control for a number of reasons.

“The Brecon Beacons is unique to the county as it has its own destination status and it was felt that a dedicated TIC was required to deal with the high volume of visitors to the town and the wider area.

“At the time the tourism service was being restructured, the council was developing its town centre regeneration plan for Brecon. Due to this work, it was decided that Brecon TIC should remain as a council-owned and managed service. The council decided it was important to offer a continuity of service for both residents and visitors during any potential redevelopments.

“Brecon TIC provides more than just a visitor information service from its premises. It also houses council tourism staff, manages all tourism email enquiries, manages brochure requests, trade and event databases and social media enquiries. To compare the services offered at Brecon TIC as part of the council’s wider tourism services and those in community funded TICs as like for like services would not make for an accurate comparison.

“Powys County Council is bracing itself for a harsh financial future following the latest spending review and will have to find significant savings over the coming years. To do that, the council will review all services it provides, including its own current tourism section and the grants that community TICs receive.

“The council has written to the community-owned TICs in the county raising the possibility of future funding reductions to give those organisations time to identify how to fund their TICs operations in the future.

“However, no decisions have been made about future funding or the terms of future service level agreements at this stage.  The council’s Cabinet will consider this sometime in the autumn and recommendations will be based on a series of options suggested during an independent review of visitor information services which took place this summer.

“All the TICs in Powys were invited to participate in the review and they have been sent a copy of the final report.”