Have your say on how you access public services from the council in the Dunstable area
Thursday, 30 June 2022
On Tuesday, 28 June, we launched a consultation about how people can access our services in the Dunstable area.
Councillor Eugene Ghent, our Executive Member for Housing and Assets, explained:
The way we access services has changed hugely in recent years, in all areas of our lives – from banking to booking holidays. The council is no different. So, now people can make applications, pay for things and access all sorts of help online. Other enquiries can be dealt with over the phone.
For lots of us it’s much more convenient. But we also know that there isn’t one size that fits all and sometimes in-person meetings are necessary.
Customer demand for in-person appointments has decreased significantly over the years, and even more so during the pandemic when in-person contact has not been possible.
Councillor Ghent went on:
We want to ensure we make the best use of our resources, which is public money, after all. In this instance, we need to look at our buildings to make sure they reflect how customers want and need to access our services.
Watling House is our office in Dunstable. The proposal, based on the current market conditions, is to not re-open Watling House or carry out in-person appointments there. The consultation, which is a questionnaire to gather feedback from those who might be affected by any proposed changes, offers a series of alternative locations if an in-person meeting is required. These include places like the Dunstable leisure centre and library and the Grove Theatre.
Councillor Ghent said:
We know there will always be times when in-person appointments are needed, so we are asking people to share their thoughts on these possible alternatives. The consultation is an incredibly valuable way for us to understand local feeling and opinion, so do please take the time to respond.
Find out more and have your say.
The consultation will be open for 8 weeks. There will also be events to allow people to share their feedback in person, as well as online or by paper copy. We will share details of those as soon as we are able to.