A HAWORTH trader is urging people to sign an online petition calling for the village's Visitor Information Centre to remain open.

Nikki Carroll, who owns Firths in Main Street, said it made no sense to scrap such a well-used and important facility.

Bradford Council's budget plans for all of its Visitor Information Centres – at Haworth, Ilkley, Saltaire and Bradford – include a £19,000 cut this year and a massive £172,000 reduction in 2017-18, which the authority warns could lead to closures.

The Haworth Visitor Information Centre is at the junction of West Lane, Changegate and Main Street. It currently operates from 10am to 5pm Monday to Sunday between April and September and from 10am to 5pm on the same days from October to March.

Mrs Carroll said: "I despair that so much has been invested in the legacy of the Tour de France to get more tourists to come here, but they want to take away this centre, which is of paramount importance to the village.

"Local people as well as tourists use it. Its staff are so helpful, supportive and knowledgeable. They are local people who know the area.

"Haworth is supposed to be the jewel in the crown of Bradford district, so to close the centre would be a ludicrous idea. It is critical to Haworth's success."

Bradford Council staged a drop-in public consultation session on the future of its visitor information centre in Haworth last week.

Mrs Carroll encouraged people to make their views known online about Bradford Council's spending proposals for the next two years.

In order to access and fill out a survey document, people need to visit the bradford.gov.uk website.

They can also sign a petition available in Mrs Carroll's shop in Main Street.

Worth Valley ward councillor, Glen Miller, said the fact the public consultation was so well attended shows how strongly residents and businesses feel about the facility.

"We never have many complaints about our visitor information centres because they offer such a good service," he added.

"The Labour-led council might believe they are surplus to requirements, but to remove their funding would be a retrograde step."

Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council vice-chairman, Cllr Angel Kershaw, was among those who attended last week's consultation.

She said: "The general consensus was that to close Haworth's Visitor Information Centre would be crazy given that it's the busiest centre in the district.

"Haworth is one of the prime tourist destinations in Bradford district. We understand savings must be made, but most people are quite angry about the possibility of this centre closing."