Plans are already in the pipeline to promote Leighton Buzzard as a tourist destination to bring more footfall to the town.
Proposals to reconsider the use of Bridge Street’s Riverside Centre as a possible venue for a heritage and tourist information centre are to be discussed by Leighton-Linslade Town Council.
Councillors are in the process of organising talks and have planned a visit to look round the building that is owned by Central Beds Council, which has been suggested could be run by volunteers.
Speaking about the possibility of a new centre, Paul Brown, chairman of the Leighton Buzzard and District Archaeological and Historical Society, expressed his delight at the opportunity.
He said: “Unlike most towns, we don’t have any type of museum in our area, which is a great shame. We have a great deal of history that people are missing out on.
“The trouble is finding the funding. You need money to be able to hire staff, so I can see that keeping it open is quite a difficult thing to achieve.
“But it would pay for itself in terms of bringing people into the town. It is long overdue because we have publications about the town, but no where to sell them.”
A spokesman for Central Beds said: “The council’s Adult Community Learning Courses moved out of the Riverside Centre about a year ago and were relocated at Leighton Buzzard Library to provide a students with a better learning environment and better access to study resources.
“The council is currently looking at potential future uses for the Riverside Centre but no decisions have been taken.”