A GATEWAY to the whole of Yorkshire tourism could open up at York city centre's famous Splash Palace public toilets.

That vision has been put forward by one of 17 consultants invited to be interviewed next Wednesday for the job of drawing up a feasibility study to create a new super visitors' information centre for the city.

The concept of the centre, which will be known as The Hub, was unveiled at the annual meeting of the York Tourism Bureau at the York Theatre Royal

One interpretation, by architects Carey Jones of Leeds, shows a sleek new building replacing the Splash Palace, which could be moved to a new venue near the market in Silver Street.

With the end of lease looming on York Tourism Bureau's main information centre at the De Grey Rooms, which in any case were difficult for disabled people to get into, the prospect of moving it to a more central location in Parliament Street is favoured by City of York Council.

The council, together with Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, and York Tourism Bureau are all contributing towards the costs of the feasibility study.

Bill Woolley, the council's acting environment and development chief, stressed that the Splash Palace proposal was only one of what could be many options.

"We think that Parliament Street would be a great location for a visitors' information centre, but the feasibility study will look at where it would work best in terms of premises and cost. That could mean, for instance, using one of the shops in Parliament Street."

He said that the public toilets in Parliament Street were underground with steps that were far too steep. Theoretically, the facility could be moved into premises in Silver Street, soon to become vacant when an electricity sub station is moved.

Whoever is chosen will have to complete the feasibility study by next March. Whatever scheme is approved needs to be in place by March 2008 when the visitors' information centre moves out of the De Grey Rooms in Exhibition Square.

Meanwhile, the emphasis on York being the gateway for all tourists visiting Yorkshire is underlined by next month's opening of a "new look" visitors' information centre at York railway station. Renamed The Gateway, it will have had a two-week £70,000 revamp.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, described the efforts to find a central home for an information centre in York as "great news".

"A new city centre site will encourage more visitors and residents to use it," she said.

Updated: 09:53 Thursday, October 13, 2005