Customer Service Centre Opens in Kidsgrove

Cllr Simon Tagg says: It’s a modern light environment for people to deal with the council and it follows on from the guildhall scheme which we brought into place at the end of 2008 so we now the two main towns in our borough excellent services delivered locally. Cabinet took this decision only last June and here we are 9 months later with the job done and a great facility in place which is something we can all take pride in.

The Mayor says: It is with great pleasure that I declare this centre open

Reporter asks: So what services will be provided at Kidsgrove customer service centre

Jeannette Hilton answers: Well as you can see we have opened today and immediately the services that are most in use are revenues and benefits which we expected they would be but people are also asking about information environmental health pest control blue badges we are starting to do next week which will be very important for us bus passes, waste management and planning is another one that we do so there is quite a broad range of services that we are providing.

Reporter asks: What is actually inside the centre 

Jeannette Hilton answers: Well it’s totally refurbished as you can see we have five meeting rooms some of those are going to be made available for hire by community bodies people like the fire the police who already hire rooms at the guildhall so we are replicating the situation that we have there we also have private meeting facilities for people who want an interview on their own and we have also got a number of areas where people can be sat waiting and we have a very nice screen giving information about the local community and council services that are available at the site and we are also offering for the first time in Kidsgrove the scan coin payment machines and people are using those as we speak and getting use to those.

Reporter asks: Moving outside what work has been done there?

Jeannette Hilton answers: We have had a lot of work done outside we had 3 or 4 buildings that had to be demolished mainly because they were so dilapidated anyway the CAB building was one of those and of course they have now moved in and are offering their services here we have got a nice landscaped area and extra parking for people so they will be able to park on site and come straight into the centre.

Reporter asks: What has been the reaction from residents so far?

Jeannette Hilton answers: Very happy with it we have had a lot of very positive feedback from people this morning they are glad it is being able to be used for more facilities than in the old centre and they are looking forward as I am to it being a success.