If you look at South Lakeland District Council's website you will see that they are considering the future of Tourist Info Centres they fund.
I always used to rely heavily on Tourist Info Centres when I was planning family holidays……….So I should be sad and distressed by this BUT……………..
My local TI was taken over by a group of local 'business people' a couple of years back. Initialy I thought 'good for them' and I was quite supportive. THEN, at the tail end of last year, we found out that this TI was extending its remit to that of aggressive property developer. They bought a field at back of mine with the intention of building a large car park there. I'm only bothered about the car park itself on a NIMBY basis.
The real problem is that this field does not have a suitable entrance or exit for a car park and rather than make an offer to buy land from my neighbours or me to facilitate this, two of my neighbours have had 'hand over your land to us or you will face large legal bills to defend it and we will win in the end, so save yourself the bother and vast expense by handing it over to us now' type approaches which are still ongoing. This has been coupled with a highly dubious attempt on the local council to push a right of way across land owned by one of these neighbours where no public right of any sort has ever existed before. I stuck my head above the trench in defence of my neighbours and pointed out the connection between this proposal and the TI's plans. As a result I've now been threatened with legal action by the TI, an ex councillor and more recently by another serving councillor. Deep joy!
So, if you are minded to support the retention of TIs in South lakeland, could you at least bear in mind what I've said here, and specificaly ask that funds be given on the basis that TI's stick strictly to being an Information Service, and public funds be denied them if they move into any other areas of operation.
Cheers,
Oppressed of South Lakeland.
