Witney Town Centre Shop will be kept open despite a dramatic drop in customers.

A report said that before the pandemic there was a sustained reduction in footfall for both customer services and tourist information at the WODC shop and visits fell by 70 per cent over the last three years.

Customers were now using phone and online as their main means to access services.

Since the shop reopened in April there had been 530 visits – or 17 a day.

Cllr Jane Doughty, cabinet member for customer delivery, said: “Some of our cabinet members recently visited the town centre shop and we did realise that refurbishment work is needed. However, this should be carried out at minimum cost.”

Cllr Andrew Coles said he was “relieved to hear you are considering keeping it because I do think it is a very important public space”.

He said he had long expressed concerns the council had been running it down, particularly when they decided not to allow the public to pay for their garden waste collection subscription there.

“I felt then and now that we could be making better use of it and certainly in its current state it is not attractive at all.”

Cllr Suzi Coul agreed: “I think it is absolutely imperative that we keep the town centre shop as the public face of our council.”