Changes to where we provide your services

Decision made on future of buildings

A network of neighbourhood centres is being created to deliver services in a different way by co-locating them in the same building. This means that the number of buildings we deliver services from is reduced but the services are still delivered, though in some cases from a different building than people have been used to using.

What has changed is that the new Cabinet has made the decision to reopen the libraries which closed last year, wherever possible.

Proposals by community groups and other organisations to take on responsibility for running some of the affected buildings and services are still being explored. We are in the process of making decisions about the proposals received.

Neighbourhood centres

The public access buildings the council delivers local services from will become known as neighbourhood centres. This does not mean they will all be the same, but it does mean the council will think differently about how all of these buildings will be used in the future. Neighbourhood centres will become places where different services are located together instead of being used as a base for a single service.

Neighbourhood centres will be equipped to meet the needs of the services provided in them and some will offer increased flexibility such as:

• Extended opening hours
• Meeting rooms
• Private rooms for interviews and consultations