A popular motorway tourist information centre near Burnham-On-Sea which has closed down for nine months will be directing visitors to Burnham’s tourist centre after intervention by a local councillor.
Burnham-On-Sea.com first reported last week that the Somerset Visitor Centre at Sedgemoor Services on the southbound M5 has shut until next summer due to maternity leave.
However, the closure has concerned tourism leaders in Burnham because a poster on the door is directing visitors to alternative tourist centres in Taunton and Yeovil instead of the nearest information centre in Burnham just five miles away.
However, Burnham county councillor Peter Burridge-Clayton is getting the ‘oversight’ rectified.
“I was concerned that Burnham would be missing out on visitors so have spoken this week with Cllr David Hall, the Somerset County Council Cabinet member responsible for economic development, and it’s been agreed that Burnham will be mentioned on the sign during the closure,” he told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“I understand the problem was caused because Burnham’s tourist information centre does not have the same level of national accreditation as Yeovil or Taunton, but this has now been addressed.”
The decision has been welcomed this week by Somerset Tourism Association and BIARS (Burnham Information and Rescue Support), the group that runs Burnham’s seafront Tourist Information Centre, both of whom had expressed concern about the signage.
