CONCERNED residents say that the possible closure and relocation of Marlow’s Tourist Information Centre (TIC) would be a huge loss to the community.

The information and advice resource moved to a council-leased premises on the corner of High Street and Institute Road in 2009, and has teamed up with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau from this month.

Worried readers told the MFP Marlow would be much worse off if the centre were to be shut following a Wycombe District Council review this month.

Marlow resident Samantha Brooks said: "The council I would imagine took a 10 year lease. But the information centre has only occupied this for 4 years. So more money lost or wasted until new tenants found.

"CAB has just been secured there at the information centre.

"Marlow will lose another vital part of the community. I know it's upset a good few Marlow residents."

Marlow's TIC moved from its previous spot at 31 High Street in 2009, with the current office costing WDC £271,500.

Open six days a week, the TIC provides a range of services centring on information for the thousands of leisure visitors to Marlow each month.

It also offers additional services such as help and advice with benefits and council services as well as a facility for paying council tax or parking fines.

WDC confirmed it will review tourism services throughout the district, but cannot reveal the scope of the discussion until the agenda for the meeting is released.

But there is a possibility the office could moved to another location in the town, possibly another council-run building.

Sarah Budd took to Facebook to say: "It's all very well cutting yet more standard amenities that every town should have. But funny how they don't cut the Council tax to reflect that change do they?! Insane. So much for it being a tourist town when it won't even have a Tourist Centre in it!"

But WDC insists it intends to keep a tourist and council services office in the town.

Spokesman Nick Sykes said: "The tourism tervice we provide across the district is about to be reviewed and there are no firm plans yet, but it is certainly our intention to keep an Information Centre in Marlow."

The premises was taken on a 25-year lease in 2009 and is split between the TIC and the Post Office.

A tenant break in 2019 would allow the entire space to be re-let, but if the TIC were to close before that WDC would need to market that section for re-letting.

A decision is expected to be made at the Cabinet meeting on September 22.