Issue - meetings

To consider a request to demolish information gateway sites which are outdated and require significant maintenance.

(Report attached)

Members considered a report which sought approval to demolish the five existing tourist information shelters located at key gateway sites on entrances to the town.

Officers reported that the shelters were in a poor state of repair, the information and maps were out of date and that there was no evidence of them being well used.  Significant funding would be required if the shelters were to remain including £4,690 per annum in electricity costs, which contributes unnecessarily to the Council’s carbon footprint.

Members were informed that following a successful bid by Worcestershire County Council to the Department of Transport to roll out the ‘Choose how you Move 2’ project, money would be available to provide six information kiosks in Redditch.  This project had been designed to encourage more sustainable transport in the town.

RECOMMENDED that

1)                 the information shelters be demolished and the lighting system be disconnected; and

2)                 the annual budget for electricity consumption for 2011/12 be diverted into the energy efficiency ‘spend to save’ fund.