While I applaud the very kind offer of Mike Ellery to house Weymouth’s TIC at his School Street Plaza, alas the former Colwell Centre is not in the right place.

There’s only one place in town where our TIC should be sited, and that’s on the seafront where Weymouth’s TIC used to be situated. After all said and done, this location was originally chosen by Weymouth & Portland Borough Council. Yet years later, evidently this location became unaffordable.

For reasons best known to them, council officers and councillors alike were misguided when they agreed to its relocation to Weymouth Pavilion.

I have expressed my opinion to some of our ‘decision-makers’ that a compromise is to position a static temporary unit on the seafront - similar in structure and quality to the National Trust mobile units - at the King’s Statue area of the Esplanade. 

At very least it should be here in the peak holiday months.
TICs, especially in areas such as ours, are so very important and I appreciate the fact that they cost money to operate. 

However, I am impressed with the TIC in Bridport town centre which is a proper TIC; and if they can do it, so too should Weymouth. 

Easier said than done? Of course, but let’s explore the options, providing the central seafront area is where we’re looking.

Tourism is our biggest earner; it’s time we played more than just lip-service to it.

David Johnston
Weymouth