Work by the Council to develop a new One Stop Shop of local services in a single location at Manvers Street, Bath will start on site in January 2012. An update of the plans was discussed by the Council Cabinet at their meeting on 7th December 2011.
The facility will open mid May 2012. The initiative is part of the Council’s plans to overhaul the way it provides customer services which aim to provide service more efficiently, meet customer needs, and join-up public and voluntary sector services.
The work at Manvers Street is one of three revamps of the Council’s One Stops Shops with improvements already underway at The Hollies, Midsomer Norton and a new facility is planned as part of the Keynsham town centre regeneration project.
Manvers Street – local services under one roof
The new Bath One Stop Shop represents a substantial improvement in the Council’s customer service facilities. It’s expected to help up to 1,000 people per day get the advice they need at one convenient location accessing a wider range of help, advice and information from public sector and voluntary partners.
Councillor David Bellotti (Lib-Dem, Lyncombe), Cabinet Member for Community Resources, said, “The Bath One Stop Shop will be setting a new high standard for Bath & North East Somerset Council’s customer services. Our aim is to make face-to-face contact between our residents and the local public sector as straightforward and convenient as possible in a pleasant, modern environment.
“From May 2012 the new location in Manvers Street will provide us with a great opportunity to provide more facilities and services for local residents under one roof. All the efficient services people have come to expect from Council Connect at the Guildhall will still be available but in a much more suitable space.”
There will be:
- Various meeting areas for customers to discuss their enquiries in appropriate levels of privacy, with staff from the Council and other public and voluntary organisations;
- A local Shopmobility service, close to the main train & bus services, for the convenience of our customers;
- Self-service facilities for people to access online information, phone other departments and organisations and to make payments;
- Customer toilets, a café, dedicated display space for local information and exhibitions, and a small children’s play area.
The plans are all part of the Council’s ‘Workplaces Programme’ to use office space more efficiently and provide the best possible services for local people – £1 million has already been saved by closing other offices including Plymouth House and Trimbridge House and relocating services to other existing locations.
