ABERGAVENNY'S tourist information centre could be relocated to the town hall in a bid to increase visitor numbers.

Councillors will consider if the move can be incorporated into the upcoming refurbishment of Abergavenny Town Hall, which is planned to become one of the council's community hubs.

As part of the revamp the Borough Theatre's box office will be moved to a larger office in the town hall, which could also be used as a tourist information centre, a council report says.

Currently the tourist centre is located at the Tithe Barn in Monk Street, which had proved popular with visitors as it also offered a Welsh produce cafe and heritage exhibition.

But the closure of the cafe last year and reduced accessibility to the exhibition has resulted in less visitors coming to the tourist centre.

Visitor numbers have reduced by 19.2 per cent and income generated from retail has gone down by 24.4 per cent.

"The location of the town hall in the centre of the town presents an opportunity to increase footfall whilst also sharing operational costs of service delivery with the theatre’s box office," a council report says.

"The Borough Theatre was returned to the council from the Borough Theatre Trust in April 2018 and since then the council has been working to place it on a firm financial footing."

The tourist information centre is jointly funded by Monmouthshire County Council, Abergavenny Town Council and Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, with each contributing £10,000 towards costs.

A service charge of £3,000 currently paid to Tithe Barn will be transferred to the Borough Theatre to cover operational costs under the plans.

Tithe Barn's management committee has said it wants the tourist centre to remain at its current location, though.

But a council report does not favour this option, as it says the loss of income and service could have a detrimental effect on the overall facility.

The report says the funders of the service have to ensure funding invested delivers "maximum value for money."

Councillors on Monmouthshire's economy and development committee will consider the plans next Wednesday (April 10), before a decision is made by the cabinet at a later date.