Issue - meetings

To endorse and comment on the proposed decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Commercial and Traded Services

Rebecca Spore (Director of Infrastructure) and Peter Brook (Design Authority) were in attendance for this item

(1)       Mr Sweetland (Cabinet Member for Commercial and Traded Services) introduced the report which asked the Cabinet Committee to endorse or comment on his proposed decision to re-locate KCC services and commissioned services from the Maidstone Gateway to other properties in Maidstone.  He said that this decision could result in an annual saving of £162,000. 

(2)       Mr Sweetland said that the figures for 2015 showed that the number of transactions for KCC services at the Gateway had declined to 621 and that this reflected the shift in the way people conducted business with the Council.  Transactions conducted on-line cost 15p each compared with £56 for each transaction with KCC conducted at the Gateway in 2014.

(3)       Mr Sweetland said that discussions were taking place with the Citizens Advice Bureau as they had expressed an interest in being commissioned to deliver KCC services at the Maidstone Gateway.

(4)       In response to questions, Mr Sweetland and Mrs Spore said that:

(i)         Over the last 12 months the Council’s property portfolio, including Gateways, had been reviewed.  It had become clear that customer volumes were low and costs high in Gateways without an anchor service such as a library; 

(ii)        Gateways needed to be considered in the context of the Customer Services’ Strategy as well as the Property Strategy;

(iii)       If KCC services continued to be provided from the Gateway, and savings were not realised, it would be necessary to identify savings elsewhere in the Property portfolio;

(iv)       Face to face customer services could be provided from other buildings in Maidstone;

(v)        A decision was required in the next 4-6 weeks so the break clause in the contract could be exercised;

(5)       During the discussion, Members commented that:

(i)         Customer satisfaction was lower for the Gateway than for the Contact Centre;

(ii)        It was premature to ask the Cabinet Committee to endorse the proposed decision without having information about the costs of alternative provision;

(iii)       The public preferred to access services on-line or over the phone;

(iv)       There was no call for Gateways from residents who lived in areas without them.

(6)       Resolved that the proposed decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Commercial and Traded Services for KCC to re-locate its services from the Maidstone Gateway to other properties in Maidstone be endorsed.