A NEW rescue deal is on the table for the cash-strapped Dartmouth Tourist Inform­ation Centre.

The Dartmouth Business Improvement District has come up with a revised funding offer to help the TIC – the second it has made in the last fortnight.

But BID directors admit they have not yet asked levy payers if they are in favour of the latest plan – and would carry out a short survey to gauge support before any cheque is signed.

Directors of the TIC say they will be considering the latest offer before coming to a decision.

Only last month the TIC said it had to reluctantly reject a short-term bail out offer from the BID because of the terms attached.

Now the BID has come back with a revised proposal with the offer of long-term funding.

TIC director Hilary Bastone said the board would be discussing the latest offer on Wednesday evening before meeting with the BID team.

‘It is still under discussion,’ he said.

TIC chairman Angie Cairns-Sharp added: ‘We have received a discussion document from the BID board and not an actual further proposal, which we will consider further when our board next meets later this week.

‘I am hopeful this will lead to further meetings with the BID board.’

A number of exploratory meetings in search of a workable solution have been held between the TIC, the BID, Dartmouth Town Council and the town’s business forum since the information centre closed early in January, blaming financial problems.

The BID said: ‘The economy of the town is heavily reliant on tourism and in turn our tourism industry is heavily reliant on the TIC visitor centre for promotion and support. It is the front door to Dartmouth, loved and cherished by many and run by a fantastic team. Everything should be done to help it reopen at the earliest opportunity and survive and prosper in the longer term.

‘The BID and the TIC already work closely together to promote the town and it is in the interests of both organisations and the town to find a solution to this problem.

‘The BID moved very quickly to offer the TIC a temporary loan, a financial breathing space to enable the visitor centre to reopen and to provide time for all parties to come up with a long-term solution.

‘For their own reasons, which we respect, the directors of the TIC did not feel able to accept this offer.

‘Within the last few days, we have put a revised proposal to the TIC, with the offer of long term funding and we now await their response.

‘There are a number of reasons that have led to the TIC’s demise and there is little point in providing funding unless and until changes have been agreed and implemented that will avoid this problem reoccurring in the future.

There is no quick fix here, but we are providing as much help and support to the TIC as we can and we know that other organisations in the town are doing likewise, so between us we are hopeful that a long term solution will be found.’

Meanwhile, the TIC says it will be opening its doors for two weeks for the half term break from this weekend.

Weekend opening will then continue until Easter when the centre in Mayor’s Avenue car park hopes to open fully for the season.

Some concerns still remain over the future of the New­comen Engine attached to the visitor centre.

Dartmouth Town Council accepted responsibility for the Newcomen Engine House and Engine in 1991.

In an agreement with the Newcomen Society, the council accepted the Newcomen Memorial Engine on permanent loan and undertook to ensure it was available for inspection by the public and to maintain the engine.

Cllr Francis Hawke said he would like to see the council give £3,500 to the TIC in order to keep the engine house open within the visitor centre.

‘The engine house is in our custody and we have an obligation with the TIC where it is situated at the moment,’ he told Dartmouth Town Council on Monday.

‘I am worried if the TIC folds and the lease reverts back to South Hams Council we might end up with egg on our faces because we allowed this to happen.

‘Quite rightly, the New­comen Engine is something which we as Dartmothians should be proud of.’

Mayor Cllr Robert Lyon said talks were continuing over the future of the TIC and he was ‘quietly confident’ the building and the Newcomen Engine would remain open in some form.