DELAYS in the opening of Dunmow s new tourist information centre are threatening to derail the entire success of the project. Scheduled to open on May 7, the date for a formal opening at the Banana Travel shop in Market Place has continually slipped. Now,

DELAYS in the opening of Dunmow's new tourist information centre are threatening to derail the entire success of the project.

Scheduled to open on May 7, the date for a formal opening at the Banana Travel shop in Market Place has continually slipped. Now, at the earliest, it will be mid-august.

The centre will cost the taxpayer around �3000 a year to run but Dunmow town councillors fear that opening after the summer holidays will curtail the facility before it even gets off the ground.

Cllr Milan Milovanovic said: "I fear that we may have missed the boat on this one. We needed to move much quicker in getting this project going because if we miss the end of summer it will be too late."

Cllr Frank Silver is one of a team who have been overseeing the project since it began in 2008 following Uttlesford District Council's decision to shed tourism services.

He said: "The project has stalled for a number of reasons such as the amount of time people we have had to actually discuss the agreements. It needs to progress sooner rather than later."

Town clerk Owen Wilson has been put in charge of agreeing contracts with the Banana Travel shop owners and he says that everything is now at an advanced stage.

He added: "Progress has been as rapid as can be achieved in relation to the limited staffing resources and other competing priorities we have.

"We need to remind ourselves that the 'boat' was originally sunk by the district council withdrawing their promotion of tourism. The town council has decided to rebuild that from scratch. I am sorry if the launch date is a bit later than hoped.

"There are only so many boats that I and my staff can build and launch at any one time."

DOES Dunmow need a tourist centre? E-mail us at editor@dunmow-broadcast.co.uk