MINEHEAD'S purpose-built visitor information and interpretation centre could be closed just two years after being hailed as the hi-tech future for the district's tourism industry.

Services could be moved to the district council's customer contact office in Summerland Road, although it is not clear what would happen to the redundant information centre building.

The radical proposal is one of a number of options being considered by West Somerset Council, which says it can not afford the £40,000 annual cost of keeping the seafront facility open.

The district authority took control of the town's visitor information service from Minehead Town Council when the new centre opened just over two years ago.

But an annual £10,000 grant from the town council towards running costs is due to end in March next year and talks are now being held with key groups in Minehead, including the chamber of trade, steam railway and town council, about its future.

The district council's corporate director Bruce Lang will tell Monday's meeting of the authority's scrutiny committee the issue is being treated as a matter of urgency.

"Realistically, in the current economic and financial climate for local government, it is highly unlikely that the council will be in a position to be able to carry such costs.

"Options include possibly moving the visitor information and interpretation centre activity into the council's customer contact centre.

"The staff at the visitor and interpretation centre are being kept aware of the overall situation," Mr Lang says in a report to the committee.

Councillors will be warned that to retain the centre under the council's control, cuts will have to be made to other services - unless organisations which benefit from the centre's services cover some of the costs.

The centre is also on course for an overspend in this financial year due to extra staff costs associated with new employment terms and conditions and additional opening hours on Sundays.

Mr Lang said winter opening hours could be amended again to save money.

The location, opening times, parking arrangements and working conditions at the centre have long been a cause for concern.

Staff said they felt isolated from their employers at the district council and were worried enquiries had dropped since the centre relocated from Friday Street to the seafront.

The concerns came to light at the end of 2009 and sparked an ongoing review of the centre.

As a result, two dedicated parking bays were created close to the facility, longer Sunday opening hours were introduced and staff job descriptions, terms and conditions were reviewed.

The additional opening hours were meant to cost an extra £1,000 a year, while the creation of the parking bays set the council back £750 for new markings and signs and led to a loss of £850 in car parking income.

At the time planning permission was given, council officers rebutted concerns from highways chiefs about poor parking in the area and said it would be up to customers to find their own parking spaces.

There was also much internal wrangling between Minehead Town Council and the district authority over who would staff the centre and, ultimately, pay for it.

The centre was eventually built on land acquired by the district council from developer Westbury Homes as a result of a condition tied to a planning permission for flats alongside the site.

The authority also secured £203,193 of European Regional Development Funding towards the cost of the hi-tech facility, which was opened later than planned in July 2008 by Exmoor-based television personality Johnny Kingdom.

Graham Carne, the district council's finance chief, will tell scrutiny committee members the costs of running the centre are not included in the council's 2011/12 financial plan.

"This will need to be built into future budgets and additional savings will need to be found to support any continuation of the visitor information and interpretation centre into 2011/12.

"Alternatively, additional income could be sought from partners and other organisations that benefit from the centre's presence on the seafront," Mr Carne is due to tell Monday's meeting.