SIR — As chairman of our Chamber of Commerce in Minehead, I can say it was with reluctance and sadness that our bid to take over the existing visitor centre when it closed had to be withdrawn.

Yes, tourism and its knock-on economic impact in the town is huge.

The chamber had been working hard with West Somerset Council to find a solution that would bridge the funding gap and made the loss-making seafront site sustainable, a tall order and one that had eluded both town and district for many years.

A gradual reduction in current subsidy was planned using a business model aligned more to the modern day, go ahead and successful centres.

It is fair to say these modern set-ups tend to be centrally based so as to be an attraction to both residents and visitors alike on a 365-day basis.

Many are also co-located and share staff and overheads with, for instance, libraries and museums, and have a high element of retail sales to bolster turnover.

This was not seen to be workable on the seafront and therefore would have meant the chamber vastly overstretching its finances.

Other scenarios were explored so that the relatively new building would have a future, but although they had substance they too would have been high risk.

We have far from closed the file, and in the past three weeks have been continuing talks with partners and potential partners on ideas within the town centre.

A chamber partnership drive to help finance our plans has not stopped, and indeed over the past three months has proved, even in these hard times, that all business groups can see the benefits of keeping this service going.

Indeed, even over the past week some feel that a better alternative to the terrible public toilet debacle can be resolved through private/voluntary intervention.

I just needed to reassure everyone that we feel the chamber is still the best vehicle to make the information centre in Minehead workable, and I am indebted to Butlins and West Somerset Railway for their continued support and West Somerset Council and Minehead Town Council for their offers of transitional funding.

Please don't withdraw this offer, nor do I want to see those volunteers that came forward last summer shelve theirs.

Graham Sizer

Chairman,

Minehead Chamber of Trade