A Keswick town councillor has criticised the Lake District National Park Authority for having no intention of finding alternative premises to house a tourist information centre.
The town’s centre, based in the Moot Hall, closed on January 31 this year.
Cllr Jean Murray was responding to a question from David Cairns, a resident of Homethwaite House retirement home on Eskin Street, at the May meeting of the council, who asked if a local property had been found for a fully functioning information centre.
He said that he had recently been approached by a Scottish family at the rear of St John’s Church who asked if he could direct them to the Keswick tourist information centre.
Cllr Murray said that the Lake District National Park Authority did not have any intention of opening another office and has never made a serious attempt to do so “despite several properties coming up that were eminently suitable”.
She said: “There is a certain line of thinking with the Lake District National Park Authority board that tourist information centres are outdated and people now get their information from social media.”
She added that some of that information online was dangerously incorrect, particularly some of the walking routes.
Cllr Murray said the Lake District National Park Authority was planning on opening a temporary desk in the Moot Hall, which is currently under refurbishment by the Twisted Willow cafe, and it will be manned by a part-time member of staff who will assist people.
“But it will not be anything like the service that we had before,” she said.
Cllr Claire Peat said that there was a lot of tourist information, including timetables, that people can just grab from the town’s bus station “although it does not come with that human element”.
It is understood that the trust was marketing the site at nearly four times the current rent from £13,000 up to £48,000 a year.
It cost around £35,000 a year to run the Keswick TIC which had been one of the busiest in the Lake District.
It was agreed that the council raises the issue with Cllr Sally Lansbury, who represents Keswick on Cumberland Council, and is also a member of the Lake District National Park Authority.
Reassurances had been given by the Lake District National Park Authority, following the closure of the information centre that it was doing “everything possible” to ensure that Keswick has a tourist information centre this summer.
A Lake District National Park Authority spokesman said: “We have and are continuing to search for alternative premises, including ongoing discussions with the incoming tenant of the Moot Hall about a presence in the centre this summer and Cumberland council about options at the town hall, however we are not currently in a position to confirm either location at present.
“In the meantime, we continue to provide information through our other visitor information centres, our website and social media, alongside the promotion of specific tourism websites, such as Visit Keswick and Visit Lake District.”
