Council announced city's visitor centre would close as part of budget cuts

A new visitor information point will open at Wakefield Cathedral.
Coun Denise Jeffery, Dean of Wakefield Jonathan Greener, Coun Les Shaw.Coun Denise Jeffery, Dean of Wakefield Jonathan Greener, Coun Les Shaw.
Coun Denise Jeffery, Dean of Wakefield Jonathan Greener, Coun Les Shaw.

It we be inside the Cathedral’s Treacy Hall and will include brochures and leaflets promoting key attractions across the district.

It will also feature a digital point where visitors can use the Experience Wakefield tourism website and access a range of information about what’s on in the area.

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Coun Denise Jeffery, deputy council leader, said: “We are delighted by this exciting development that will allow us to retain a visitor information service within the city centre.

“Tourism is a very important part of our local economy and continuing the service in this way will help us to promote our district to residents and visitors.

“Wakefield Cathedral itself is also a spectacular building in the heart of the city centre and we hope it too benefits from an increase in visitors.”

The plan, revealed by Wakefield Council last week, comes just a month after the council announced the current visitor information centre in the Bullring would close.

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The closure was outlined in the council’s 2016/17 budget, as part of plans to make £27m worth of savings in the coming year.

Coun Jeffery said: “It was a very difficult decision to close the current visitor information centre.

“But by working with the Cathedral we are able to continue delivering this important service to residents and visitors.

“The new information point will help us to continue to promote the district in traditional and new ways.”

The current visitor centre will close before the tourist information point at Treacy Hall opens at a date later this Spring.