As Reported by The Stirling Observer

PEOPLE power has won the day after Stirling Council backed down over hugely unpopular plans to close some of its local offices.

Local communities, including Dunblane and Balfron, had voiced strong opposition to the proposals.

At a council meeting on Thursday, the Labour administration confirmed it was dropping the idea.

The council currently has a network of 12 local offices, set up 15 years ago.

Labour said the closures would have helped pay for a One-Stop Shop in the Stirling city centre, which would have taken over many of the services provided by the city-based local offices.

It would have dealt with services including rent, council tax, court fines, fixed penalty payments, benefits and housing enquiries, money advice, ticket sales and licensing.

A lengthy consultation with local communities showed considerable opposition to the closure of the local offices.

Council leader Corrie McChord said the council would now look at alternative ways to finance the One-Stop Shop.

And he added that the council would continue to pursue other ways of expanding public access to services with access points at community libraries, expansion of the contact centre, pay points at local shops and post offices and expansion of the council’s website.

Councillor McChord told the meeting: “Local feeling is running strongly against the idea that we should close local offices in order to support a One Stop Shop and we will have to look again at how we improve public access to services.”

He said he recognised the council’s decision would place “financial pressure” on some services.

He added: “Customer access to council services has been under review for some time with a scrutiny panel last year looking in particular at the existing local offices.

“While most people prefer to phone the council’s highly successful contact centre or use the website, many people still want face-to-face services.

“We will have to sort something out eventually that balances the need for better access to services while recognising local concerns and people’s need for face-to-face contact with the council.”

A report going before the meeting had recommended a phased shut down, with offices in the urban areas to go first, followed by the remainder in the rural areas.

Speaking after the meeting, Tory councillor Alistair Berrill said: “Common sense has prevailed for once.

“The strength of feeling expressed during the consultation left the Labour administration in no doubt how the people of Stirling felt about this plan.

“People in the rural areas in particular were very concerned about yet another reduction in services.

“A One-Stop Shop in the city centre is all very well, but for those who face a round trip of 50, 60 miles or more on Stirling’s sub-standard roads, this will come as a great relief.”

As reported by the Stirling Observer,Sep 17 2004

COMMUNITY councils have been given extra time to comment on plans to shut council offices.

Local offices in several communities across the Stirling Council area, including Balfron, could close if the proposals get the go-ahead.

The council claims that replacement arrangements will improve service delivery and be more convenient but not everyone is convinced.

Tory councillor Alistair Berrill said: “There is a massive concern over this issue in the rural areas.

“There is a real possibility that the local offices will close, with all the staff relocated to Stirling city centre.

“The council plan to use library staff to provide information and people will apparently be able to make payments through local shops. This can never replace the personal service currently provided by staff in the local offices.

“Once again the rural areas face a cut in services from an increasingly remote, urban Labour administration.”

More than 200 responses have been received so far from individuals and organisations, most of them from rural Stirling. These will be analysed before a report is made to the council.

The consultation period, which was to have ended last Friday, has been extended until Friday, September 24, to fit in with a number of community council meeting dates.

The council claims it plans to give customers extended hours of service, deal with more enquiries from its contact centre, make greater use of local libraries, post offices and shops and open a one stop shop with other public agencies.

This means reviewing the network of 12 local offices which was set up 15 years ago.

Many communities, however, are up in arms over the proposals. They believe the closure of premises in several communities would be a reduction in service and not an improvement.

They also believe plans to move some services to local libraries are unworkable in terms of space and staff time, as well as raising issues of privacy for customers.

Balfron, Dunblane and Callander community councils are among those who have raised concerns already.

Balfron Community Council chairman Mike Stone said: “A recent questionnaire sent out by the council asking people for their views on the proposals was very confusing.

“Many of the questions were loaded in the way they were phrased. If you answered no to some of them it made it look as if you were against improvements in the service, rather than being opposed to the manner in which it was proposed the service was being changed. It was very badly worded.

“The issue has certainly created a great deal of concern in this area and it is seen as a reduction in service.”

Stirling Tenants Assembly is inviting members of the public to join in a discussion of the proposals at its AGM tomorrow (Saturday) in the Lesser Albert Halls in Stirling from 10am. Representatives of Stirling Council are expected to attended and make a presentation, after which there will be a chance to ask questions.