The future of Melksham’s Tourist Information Centre is in doubt, with the public being asked where the service should go next.

The Church Street centre is operating at a small loss and has recently experienced a drop in demand. After the recent death of director Bill Ash, it is also short-staffed and wants to start a debate on what the future should hold for the centre, which is independently run.

Terri Welch, who has worked at the centre for 29 years, said: “We’re at a crossroads. We’re open to suggestions and ideas. “We recognise that Devizes and Amesbury have closed, Corsham don’t know where their next lot of funding is coming from, Bradford on Avon is struggling.

“We don’t really know where we’re going. We want some reaction from the public; how do they feel about it? Do they want the service? Do they use the service? What is the future of the service? If the public doesn’t want it, then goodbye and that’s it.”

Mrs Welch said options being considered included changing opening hours, opening on fewer days, renting out part of the building, or shutting down altogether.

She added that she hoped a volunteer, prepared to put in time to change its fortunes, could be found, or that local businesses would be willing to sponsor the centre. She said: “Whilst our volunteers are brilliant, they’re not prepared to spend days here. The ideal would be that we would find someone who is able to spend the time and get to know the business and possibly build it up.

“I feel very strongly it’s a community resource. If this disappears from Melksham, there would be a hole in the community, I feel. “I want Melksham to be the best it can be.”

Graham Ellis, a hotelier in Melksham and president of the Melksham Chamber of Commerce, said he would like to see the hours of the TIC change, so it opens from Friday to Monday. He said: “We’re in the tour-ism business and the times that tourists are arriving and want advice are very often Saturday afternoons, Sunday afternoons and early evening between 5pm and 7pm.”

“We have such a valuable resource in the TIC, but really the best way to make use of it – and the best way for the volunteers to feel motivated – is they need to be seeing lots of people.”