Come and talk to us about the future of in-person services in Dunstable
Tuesday, 12 July 2022
We've planned a series of engagement events in the community to hear from residents about our plans for in-person services in Dunstable.
On Tuesday, 28 June, we launched a consultation about how people can access our services, in person, in the Dunstable area.
The consultation will be open until 22 August and we have planned a series of engagement events in the community to hear from residents.
Come and talk to us
Saturday 16 July, 10am until 2pm
Where: Dunstable High Street event, market square
Tuesday 19 July, 7pm
Where: Houghton Regis Parish Council
Thursday 21 July, 10am until 2pm
Where: Bedford Square, Houghton Regis
Tuesday 26 July, 10am until 2pm
Where: Market, Leighton Buzzard
Wednesday 27 July, 6pm until 7pm (booking required)
Where: Microsoft Teams (online)
To book: Send an email to partnerships.communityengagementteam@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk with your name and email address.
Watling House
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 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. We are 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.
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.