CIVIC leaders in Watchet could be on the move in a bid to find desperately needed additional space for their staff.

Town councillors agreed this week to set up a working group to look at a range of options to meet the need for extra offices.

But they have yet to decide whether a new location should incorporate offices and a chamber or whether the chamber should remain in its current historic location in Swain Street.

Although councillors have been struggling with increasingly cramped accommodation for almost two years, the latest move to find new premises follows the unveiling of draft plans and proposals for Watchet's boat museum.

Under a regeneration scheme involving a number of areas of the town that is being put forward by local group the Onion Collective, the museum could be extended with the creation of a new building that would house the tourist information centre.

And councillors were asked this week by Onion Collective director Naomi Griffith whether the council wanted to share premises with the tourist information centre in the new building.

Draft plans unveiled at the council's meeting on Monday show a glass fronted structure giving a view through the museum.

Ms Griffith told councillors that the existing cab offices would be relocated and the front of the building opened up with glazing.

"As you drive down into the town you would be able to see the boat exhibits," she said.

"There would also be glazing in the Harbour Road end, bringing a lot of light into the building".

The new tourist information centre would "slot" into the existing museum building, which was likely to result in the loss of one coach parking space.

But Ms Griffith, who stressed the plans were not set in stone and "changing all the time", said a decision now needed to be made on whether the council wanted office space in the tourist information centre.

Cllr Dave Westcott said he had always believed in keeping the council's Swain Street building as a chamber.

"It works as a chamber but not as offices - if we were in the new building it would only be just over the road.

"I am 100 per cent in favour of our offices going in with the tourism centre - the volunteers will still be there doing excellent work but with the back-up of our staff.

"It would be an ideal situation."

But Cllr John Irven warned that, if the existing chamber was retained, the capital cost of new office space would have to be found.

He said he supported the idea of securing improved office space but the question of whether the Swain Street building would have to be sold needed to be asked.

"We need to look at the cost of all options," he said.

And several councillors pointed out that the issue of whether the council should be looking for offices alone or offices and a chamber had never been discussed or decided.

Cllr Robin Nuttall said everyone supported the idea of new offices: "What isn't clear is where we stand on the chamber," he said.

"That needs to be discussed because we don't seem to be in agreement."

Cllr Peter Murphy said it made sense to bring the function of the council and tourist information together.

But chairman and town mayor Cllr Loretta Whetlor warned that many people believed the existing Esplanade location was the right one for tourism.

Ms Griffith suggested tourism services could continue to be offered on The Esplanade in some form during the summer season.

"We have had feedback on that and there could be two solutions," she said.

"But that is why we are trying to do as much consultation as possible and I would emphasise that this is only a draft."

The working party will report back to the full council in the near future, with all councillors having the chance to make the final decision.

Cllr Whetlor said the authority had to be aware of the cost implications and the views of residents.

"We have to be mindful that it is not just about us 12 councillors - we have to take account of what the rest of the town thinks."