Councillors have given the thumbs up to plans to take on a tourist information centre.

Lyme Regis Town Council's strategy and finance committee recommended a proposal to transfer the TIC be approved.

The centre is currently run by West Dorset District Council.

Press and public were asked to leave the meeting as the discussions regarding the issue are confidential, but a spokesman for the town council confirmed the committee's decision.

Cllr Steve Miller, chairman of the Strategy and Finance Committee and the WDDC Service Review working group, said: “As a council, we have explored the offering the tourist information centre provides to the town and to its visitors and we are seeking collaboration with West Dorset District Council on a viable future for that facility in Lyme Regis.

“The town council has put together a proposal to West Dorset District Council that we believe benefits both councils in the furtherance of this service.”

At a working group in December, councillors discussed whether it was beneficial or not for the town council to take on the TIC.

The minutes from the working group, presented in the agenda to last Wednesday’s meeting, state: “There was some concern that TICs were a dying business and taking it on would be more of a liability than an asset to the town council.

“There was also concern that if the town council didn’t take it on, another organisation might.

“Some members believed there was still a need for TICs, as shown in other towns in Dorset, and there was no reason the town council couldn’t decide to run it differently to how it’s currently operated.”

As reported in last week’s Bridport and Lyme Regis News, the bid comes after a similar undertaking by Bridport Town Council to take on the running of their TIC in January last year.

In November, West Dorset District Council revealed Bridport TIC was enjoying record visitor numbers since the town council had taken it on.