SALTAIRE Village Society is to hold a public meeting over the proposed closure of the village’s tourist information office and public toilets.

Bradford Council has proposed to shut the Saltaire Visitor Information Centre and the toilets at the village’s Caroline Street car park.

The Council has to save £172,000 from its tourism budget in the coming year and has placed the future of its four visitor information centres across the district under review. Consultants have recommended closing the offices in Haworth, Saltaire and Ilkley, and only retaining the one in Bradford city centre.

Now Saltaire Village Society has called a meeting on Wednesday, August 16, from 7.30pm, at Saltaire Methodist Church, Saltaire Road, to see if volunteers will come forward to help run the visitor centre, currently in Salts Mill.

Pete Chambers, co-chairman of the Saltaire Village Society, said: “We are concerned about the proposal for a World Heritage Site not having a visitor centre.

“It makes people stay longer in Saltaire, to have a better experience here and earns the businesses money.

“These facilities are worth fighting for. We are hoping to get as much support as we can. We are hoping to get a staff member that would be supported by volunteers.

“It would be awful to take the public toilets away.

“Whatever any solutions is, it looks like it will need to have volunteers.”

A formal decision is due to be taken later this year by Council bosses. The regeneration and economy overview and scrutiny committee met last month to look at how community groups could step in to save the facilities.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, the Council’s executive member for environment, sport and culture, said they were also looking at ways in which visitor information services could be delivered, either through the use of new technology or through pop-up centres.

Councillor Martin Love (Green, Shipley) said discussions were continuing over the Saltaire office, with one proposal being to combine the tourist centre and toilets at one site, in Caroline Street. He added: “The idea of a World Heritage Site without either a public toilets or a tourist information centre would devalue it.”

Anyone who cannot attend the meeting, but would like to help the society, or would like more information, should email secretarysvs@gmail.com.