Council to consider customer services relocation

Gloucester City Council’s customer services reception could move to Eastgate Shopping Centre.

The council agreed to move its offices to the shopping centre as its three-year lease at Shire Hall ended.

And now civic leaders have agreed to consider the future of The Gateway in Westgate Street which provides face to face customer service and housing support.

Civic leaders will consider all council owned buildings should relocation be determined as the best course of action.

Opposition Councillor Terry Pullen (L, Moreland) says a move to Eastgate Street would help avoid confusion. He put forward a motion to consider a move at last week’s council meeting.

“Providing services to the people of Gloucester is a primary function of this council. Helping people in crisis and people with problems is a crucial part of what we do,” he said.

“The Gateway is a crucial part of that. There must always be a face to face service for people who are vulnerable, for people facing problems and are in crisis.”

The Labour group leader said it would be an obvious move to relocate The Gateway to Eastgate Shopping Centre along with the rest of the council offices.

Liberal Democrat group leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) said the current reception should open immediately and residents should be allowed to arrive unannounced to receive advice for issues they needed dealing with.

He said the council has been shrinking and has been nicknamed the “vanishing council”.

“There are three warehouses just opposite that were full of staff three years ago. We employed a lot more than 168 people in those offices,” Cllr Hilton added.

Deputy leader Hannah Norman (C, Quedgeley Fieldcourt) said she has been in talks with officers about The Gateway and it is the council’s intention to undertake a review.

The Conservative councillor said it was important to review the structure of customer and housing support services to make sure it suits the needs of Gloucester residents for the future.

The Conservatives and Labour voted in favour of the motion which was amended by the Tories with the Liberal Democrats abstaining.

By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk