MINEHEAD could lose its dedicated visitor information centre unless volunteers or private organisations step forward to take it on.

The purpose-built centre is facing an increasingly uncertain future just two years after being hailed as the high-tech future for the district's tourism industry.

At the end of last year, West Somerset Council revealed it could not afford the £40,000 annual cost of keeping the seafront facility open.

Since then, talks have been ongoing with key groups, including the chamber of trade, steam railway and town council about its future.

Two staff have already taken voluntary redundancy and the authority will be holding a recruitment afternoon later this month in an attempt to find volunteers to help run it.

Now the authority has gone one step further and is asking local people and organisations to "get involved in the future delivery of visitor information services".

Bruce Lang, West Somerset Council's corporate director, said: "With increasing pressure on the public purse, the council is seeking expressions of interest from groups or individuals with a desire to be involved in running these services for the benefit of tourism providers across the whole district.

"Along with other councils, we are finding it increasingly difficult to run services that are outside our statutory work remit.

"However, we really appreciate that the public and businesses may not want to lose some services."

District councillors have already made it clear they believe the tourism industry and Minehead Town Council should foot the bill for providing a tourist information centre in the town.

Last November members of of the council's scrutiny committee said centres in Watchet and Porlock operated successfully with only nominal grants from the district authority and questioned why Minehead should be any different.

This week, Corinne Matthews, the council's economic regeneration and tourism manager, said: "In some areas visitor information centres are already run successfully by volunteers and in recent years some councils have successfully transferred their services to the private sector.

"It would be a very good outcome for tourism if we can do the same with our centre."

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

Centre workers said they felt isolated from their employers and were worried enquiries had dropped since the centre relocated from Friday Street - where it was run by the town council - to the seafront.

At the time planning permission was given for the new facility, 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 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.

In a statement released yesterday (Thursday), the district council said "interested parties" were welcome to operate a tourism information facility from another base, although it was not clear what would then happen to the redundant seafront building, which is subject to a raft of extremely restrictive covenants.

The council's statement said: "The centre features a modern eco-friendly design, meeting room and store room and has prominent frontage on the Minehead Seafront.

"However, if interested parties would like to operate from another premises, the council also has an office at Summerland car park in the heart of the town, which is currently vacant."

The centre currently makes around £25,000 a year through the sale of gifts and tickets, although the council believes there is scope to increase revenue through more business planning.

Mr Matthews added: "Like many local businesses, we have a strong desire to see these services continue and would like to forge relationships with genuinely interested parties to help ensure this happens."

The council has produced a prospectus about the centre, copies of which are available from Ms Matthews on 01984 635287, by emailing [email protected]">[email protected] or by writing to West Somerset Council at West Somerset House, Killick Way, Williton, Somerset, TA4 4QA.

Expressions of interest must be received by the council by noon on Friday, June 17.