North Thanet Lib Dems Fight To Save Herne Bay's Visitor Information Centre.

8.51.02am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 19th Aug 2008

The Conservative Executive on Canterbury City Council are proposing to close Herne Bay's Visitor Information Centre (VIC) in the Central Bandstand on Herne Bay Sea front. Whitstable's VIC in a town centre position on Oxford Street is also under threat.

All the Lib Dem Councillors in Whitstable are opposed to these plans. In Herne Bay the Lib Dems have organised a Petition and have already gathered nearly 2000 signatures.

Alex Perkins, Lib Dem Leader on Canterbury City Council, and Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel, is questioning the Conservative Executives decision. About 20 members of the public spoke at a meeting held to discuss the closures - all were against.

In Whitstable a petition of 4000 signatures has been presented to the Conservative Leader. Although 3 Lib Dems attended the meeting, 2 were not allowed to speak as they did not represent the ward in which the VIC is situated. Only Cllr Ken Hando of Heron (town centre) Ward was allowed to speak. He told the Executive how valuable the position of Herne Bay's VIC on its seafront is.

There has not been a proper Public Consultation before the decision was taken, and Cllr Ken Hando urged the executive to think again and allow the public to have their say. But the Conservatives would not budge. Each of the 8 members of the Executive took no notice of the speakers or petitions. So much for Democracy in Herne Bay & Whitstable.