Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the Assistant Director, EK Services.

The Assistant Director, EK Services introduced the report on the Closure of Area Offices.

The report sought Cabinet approval to withdraw face-to-face customer services at the DDC area offices (Aylesham, Sandwich and Deal) during 2017/18 due to reducing footfall and as part of progressing the Council’s digitisation agenda of encouraging the access of services on-line. The Council would still retain face-to-Face customer services at Whitfield and Dover.

The Aylesham Area Office was currently open 1 day a week, the Sandwich Area Office was open 2 days a week and the Deal Area Office was open 3 days a week.

Members were advised that the Cabinet had requested additional information in respect of the Deal Area Office closure and that the decision in respect of it had been deferred pending an additional report to Cabinet on 4 September 2017.

Assuming that the changes were fully implemented by 1 October 2017, the closures would achieve an in-year budget savings of £22.5k in 2017/18 with savings of £45k per annum in subsequent years.

EK Services had conducted customer surveys between June 2015 – December 2016 to identify the types of customers who used the area offices, the purpose of their visits and whether they had access to an internet enabled device such as a smart phone. The results of the surveys were as followed:

·         The ‘average’ Aylesham customer was female, aged over 65, travelled 0.8 miles to reach the Aylesham Area Office for the purpose of delivering documents and had a 50% chance of possessing a smartphone and/or having access to the internet. (Based on 49 responses)

·         The ‘average’ Sandwich customer was aged over 75, travelled 2.1 miles to reach the Sandwich Area Office for the purpose of paying a council bill or enquiring about parking and had just over a 50% chance of possessing a smartphone and/or having access to the internet. (Based on 155 responses)

·         The ‘average’ Deal customer is aged between 45-54, travelled 2.13 miles to reach the Deal Area Office for the purpose of delivering documents and was likely to possess a smart phone and/or having access to the internet. (Based on 384 responses)

The majority of face-to-face customer services could be dealt with via other methods (such as by telephone) and Members were advised that for other services, such as utilities, there was no face-to-face customer service provision. However, there would still be visiting officers who would be available to undertake home visits in exceptional circumstances.

The closure of the Area Offices would not affect other services offered in the buildings in which they were based, such as the issuing of blue badges by Deal library staff, and the provision of alternative facilities such as a telephone link or computer access once face-to-face customer services were withdrawn was being investigated. Members were also reminded that while the impact of Universal Credit rollout would be monitored it was a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions not EK Services.

There were no redundancies expected as a result of the Area Office closures as the reduced staffing requirements would be absorbed through staff turnover.

Members expressed concern that there was not a compelling case to justify the proposed closures and that the report did not provide enough information in relation to vulnerable customers (such as the blind, elderly, etc.) or account for the district’s changing demographics. There was also concern raised that changes to the Stagecoach timetables were isolating communities, making it more important that there was access to area offices.

The Committee agreed to let Ms Helen Williams representing Citizens Rights for Older People (CROP) to speak in respect of the proposals. She raised the following points:

·         That the changes disproportionately affected older people

·         That the research in the report demonstrated that older people were less likely to have internet access

·         That instead of closing the area offices the alternative of reducing staff and/or open hours should be investigated

There were also concerns raised that the removal of face-to-face customer services would have an impact on Sandwich Town Council and Deal Library staff who would still be providing face-to-face customer services for their organisations.

RESOLVED:       That it be recommended to the Cabinet:

(a)  That the decision to defer the decision on withdrawing face-to-face customer services and the closure of the Dover District Council service desk at Deal pending a further report to Cabinet in September providing further detail on the nature and necessity of customer visits, the number and vulnerability profile of individual customers and options for alternative service delivery be endorsed.

(b)  That the withdrawal of face-to-face customer services, and the closure of the Dover District Council service desks at Aylesham and Sandwich be deferred pending a further report to the Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee and Cabinet in September 2017 providing further detail on the nature and necessity of customer visits, the number and vulnerability profile of individual customers, more recent customer data covering 2017 and the options for alternative service delivery.

(c)  That the Cabinet be requested to grant pre-decision scrutiny for the report in September and the relevant Portfolio Holder be requested to attend the meeting of the Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee where the report is considered.