Plans to close Ashby's Tourist Information Centre permanently have stalled after strong objections from district councillors to the proposal.

Last night's (Wednesday) meeting of North West Leicestershire District Council's Corporate Scrutiny Committee debated a report which says: "Taking on board stakeholder recommendations and recognising the very limited geographical service of the TIC in Ashby, it is proposed that the facility be permanently closed to be replaced by Tourist Information Points - one each in Coalville, Ashby, Conkers and Castle Donington."

This formed part of the district council's North West Leicestershire Visitor Economy Plan presented by Paul Wheatley, Head of Property and Regeneration.

It emerged that the recommendation to close the TIC was made by London-based company Fathom Financial Consulting.

However, Mr Wheatley was grilled by councillors - including Cllr David Bigby and Cllr Gill Hoult from Ashby de la Zouch Town Council.

No committee member was in favour of closing the TIC, which had been based at the entrance to Ashby Library but has not re-opened since being closed during the first Covid lockdown in 2020.

Cllr Bigby questioned Mr Wheatley's claim that the facility cost £100,000 a year to run, and suggested it was a fraction of that.

He also suggested that volunteers could be used to operate the centre to keep costs down if the current staff were to redeployed to promoting Ashby - and North West Leicestershire - on digital platforms.

Cllr Bigby also said that, of the '10 stakeholders' questioned about the TIC, only one was from Ashby and he was the Town Council's town clerk who said he was not asked about the tourist centre.

It was also pointed out that English Heritage, which maintains Ashby Castle, was not consulted.

Councillors also objected to the description of the centre as a 'front cupboard in the library'.

The opposition to shutting the TIC for good means that the report will be put to the district council's Cabinet meeting next month with a recommendation that options are added to keep the facility open.

The council report presented to the committee added: "The district Tourist Information Centre in Ashby currently consumes the second largest proportion of the overall Cultural Service resource (budget and staff) and the primary function is to promote activities that are taking place in and around Ashby to those who are able to access the TIC during its opening hours (which are limited by the opening hours of the Library where it is based).

"The TIC does also act as a sales outlet for a small number of limited draw arts venues in the town such as Venture Theatre.

"Delivery of tourism promotion through a TIC based in Ashby does little to promote attractions in the north or east of the district.

"The TIC in Ashby has been temporarily closed since 2020 due to covid restrictions.

"There have been some calls from Ashby Town Council and through a petition for the TIC to reopen however this would be at odds with the comments gathered in the stakeholder and partner engagement carried out by Fathom Consulting which recommended that closure be made permanent so that the resource could be redeployed to a promotion service that benefited visitor economy businesses across the district.

"It is proposed that the facility be permanently closed to be replaced by Tourist Information Points (one each in Coalville, Ashby, Conkers and Castle Donington with the Public Information Points that were erected around the district to publicise post covid high street re-opening being refurbished and re-used for the purpose, supplemented by increased information on the council's website.

"Recognising the benefit of the TIC in Ashby as an outlet for ticket sales for local arts venues we have already explored the potential for Ashby Library to take on this function and this is something they have indicated a willingness to do."