Green light for improvement plan

The centre attracted 40,000 visitors in its first year

An action plan to reverse falling paying visitor numbers at the Secret Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms has been given the go ahead.

Shropshire County Council approved the ideas put forward by marketing consultants on Wednesday.

It says the plan also makes suggestions for encouraging more tourists to south Shropshire as a whole.

Now the council is hoping to secure extra cash to carry out the specialists' recommendations.

Neil Wilcox, head of countryside and heritage at the council said: "If we don't make improvements the centre will just stand still and lose interest and numbers, we need to continue to improve and develop.

"This is a real opportunity to have something new at Secret Hills which will be popular."

The attraction, which opened in 2001, contributes about £400,000 a year to the area's economy from its exhibition centre, the only part to charge an entrance fee.

Consultants were called in last year after paying visitor numbers fell from 40,000 in its first year to 27,000 the next year.

Meanwhile, the number of tourists to the other free of charge facilities increased.

Officials say they expect a further decline in paying visitors to 23,000 by the end of this financial year.

The action plan recommendations include improving the exhibition area, car parking, children's play areas, signage and turning the adjoining Onny Meadow into a country park.

A spokesman for the council said some of the improvements would be implemented by the end of the year but other changes were dependent on funding.