IT WAS nice to read in the Echo about Barbara Howe petitioning to get the TIC back at The Esplanade near the King’s Statue.

Why? Places change, people change and life goes on…..

Personally, I feel that Weymouth and Portland Borough Council have used their heads and placed the TIC in the most sensible place (at the Weymouth Pavilion) to save money (our council tax) and have more support for the Pavilion Theatre.

The Pavilion is a large building and is a good theatre with shows being put on by the council throughout the year.

It’s a little old now and in need of repairs that the council cannot afford (as recently seen in the Echo).

It isn’t as fully supported as it should be but is still open to the public every day (straight away there is a saving from the electricity costs to the council).

There’s a café with inside seating. There are large windows with stunning views along the beach.

This all means revenue for the council and hopefully, more people will go to the shows being put on, especially through the summer months.

There are better parking facilities at the Pavilion, instead of five spaces taken up by disabled badge holders who park there and then go shopping or on the beach for the day. This made it impossible for many visitors to the TIC to stop for 10 minutes and pop in.

An added bonus for having the TIC at the Pavilion is for those business people, like myself, at this end of the town. Now they can visit the TIC easier and get some of the business from its new location.

Weymouth resident Fred Amey (who saw 20 people trying the door to the now closed TIC in as many minutes) should just point these people in the direction of the newly situated TIC at the Weymouth Pavilion – that large building at the far end of The Esplanade.

If they are in their cars, tell them how much better the parking facilities are down this end.

My vote is for the TIC to stay where it is now situated at the Weymouth Pavilion.

I wonder if Barbara Howe and the people on her list of signatures have thought through, or care, just how expensive the running costs are to keep the TIC at the King’s Statue.

Joining in with an existing council set-up that is already using our money to keep going and is open all day, every day, will be cheaper.

Well done, Weymouth council, for doing something right at last.

TONY GODDARD, Chickerell Road, Chickerell