A TOWN tourism boost is expected now four options for a new visitor centre have been revealed.

In March the Leader reported plans to build a visitor centre for Flint Castle were unveiled by the Welsh Government in order to create a key attraction for Wales.

Cllr Vicky Perfect, mayor of Flint and custodian of the castle, said the centre will be used to boost tourism in the town and will contain a cafe, new sports facilities and an education centre for school pupils and young visitors to learn about the history behind the castle.

She has worked at the castle for more than 30 years and is delighted by the plans and very excited for when the centre opens

“I think it’s really excellent,“ Cllr Perfect said.

“For locals and tourists alike it has everything.

“All the things people ask you about, such as where can you get something to eat, go to the toilet, and so on, it will be there under one roof.

“It’s right on the coastal path, will bring in more people to visit our historic castle and more people who will visit Flint the town itself.”

The nearby Flint Lifeboat Station along with the Flint Town United football club and Flint Rugby Club will also use the centre and the facilities on offer.

Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, revealed plans for the centre will feature a veranda for visitors to view the River Dee and walkway to the castle.

Architectural design company Purcell Tritton LLP has drawn up plans for the centre which include four options:

l Option A – a single structure on the site of the current Social Club building extending towards the estuary alongside the rugby pitch.

l Option B – a single ‘v-shaped’ building which has a two-story arm running along the back of the rugby pitch and the other, a single-story arm, projecting towards the castle following the curvature of the new coastal path.

l Option C – two separate buildings part single and two-story, one sited between the car park and the castle, the other on the site of the existing social club.

l Option D – “a do minimum approach” where the visitor centre is positioned to the north west of the castle with the RNLI and football and rugby clubs using their existing facilities.

A spokesman from Purcell Tritton LLP, whose architect Elgan Jones drew up the plans, said: “This option was explored to demonstrate that if the study concluded it was not feasible to combine all organisations in one building, it could be possible to provide a visitor centre with the required Cadw accommodation in isolation of the other parties.”

A Cadw spokesman said: “The outline options for the visitor centre at Flint Castle will be considered further through the feasibility stage and we will work closely with local partners, including the community, to review the visitor facilities at this site.

“This work will progress during the second half of this financial year with the aim of agreeing a proposal for visitor facilities in 2018.”