Issue - meetings

To comment or endorse the proposed decision to be taken by the Leader of the Council to re-locate its services and commissioned services from Dover Gateway to the Dover Discovery Centre

Rebecca Spore (Director of Infrastructure) and Elizabeth Luxton (Head of Operations) were in attendance for this item

(1)       Miss Carey (Cabinet Member for Commercial and Traded Services) introduced the report which asked the Cabinet Committee to endorse or comment on a proposed decision to relocate KCC services and commissioned services from Dover Gateway to the Dover Discovery Centre. 

(2)       Mrs Spore said the footfall for KCC services in the Dover Gateway was relatively small in comparison with the total transactions, the cost per transaction was high and that other KCC services were already delivered from the Dover Gateway.

(3)       In response to questions, she confirmed that the transaction cost for KCC at Dover Gateway was just over £113 per customer visit and the other figures in paragraph 2.2 of the report were industry benchmarking figures and not KCC costs. 

(4)       Post meeting note – The price of a telephone transaction varies depending on the volume of calls in a month and the average handling time. In July 2016 the price per telephone call for Kent County Council was £4.20. The price per call includes all calls handled 24/7 e.g. a call handled at 1am on Sunday morning. Comparing this price to SOCITM’s channel benchmarking survey is, therefore, not accurate.  The price of a website transaction will also vary depending on what the end user requires but again this will not be comparable to SOCITM’s channel benchmarking survey.

(5)       Mrs Spore said that 37 responses to the consultation had been received with 68% in favour of the re-location.  She said concerns relating to access to the building would be addressed during the refurbishment of the Discovery Centre and that the break clause in the contract with the Dover Gateway would need to be exercised in June or July 2017.

(6)       Mr Cooke said that the Discovery Centre was owned by KCC and investigations were underway to determine the work necessary to bring the building up to the required standard to make it fit for purpose and to enable KCC services currently delivered at the Gateway to be located there.  He also confirmed that work was required to the Discovery Centre regardless of whether or not additional services were provided from it.

(7)       Mr Cooke said the decision, would be taken by him, as Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, and not by the Leader of the Council as set out in the report.

(8)       Resolved that the proposed decision by the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services to relocate KCC services and commissioned services from the Dover Gateway to the Dover Discovery Centre be endorsed.