Call for Arun council offices to reopen for drop-ins without an appointment

A Lib Dem councillor is calling for the civic centre to ‘reopen’ but the council leader says that anyone can approach the front desk and services continue to be provided.
Arun Civic Centre in LittlehamptonArun Civic Centre in Littlehampton
Arun Civic Centre in Littlehampton

Jamie Bennett (LDem, Rustington West) claimed there was ‘no intention’ to reopen Arun District Council’s offices at Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, to walk-ins.

He said: “The council is convinced that the only way forward is the booking system.

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“I don’t believe that’s the right thing for the public because some people just want to pop in and see them.

Bognor Regis Town HallBognor Regis Town Hall
Bognor Regis Town Hall

“I’ve done some research and every single other district council office in the county is open.”

Mr Bennett claimed that ‘Covid is being used as an excuse’ and that there were plans to close and lease out part of the offices.

“From what I understand, they want to lease out some of the building to create more income but that can’t, in my view, be at a detriment to the public,” he claimed.

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But council leader Shaun Gunner (Con, Rustington East) said there were ‘no plans’ to do this and he explained that part of the ground floor was leased out to the probation service, which ‘brings in extra income for the council’ and means ‘two public services are in one place’.

He said: “So this is already happening and is clearly a positive step. Does Councillor Bennett think this is wrong?”

Mr Gunner said that ‘not a single person’ had complained to him about being unable to access council services due to the booking system currently in place.

But Mr Bennett maintained that the booking system was not enough, saying: “The public need access to the council and some people just prefer face-to-face interaction rather than speaking over the phone.

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“My gran is 79 and she’d much rather go and see somebody i.e. at the bank.”

He said that issues which could be solved by a quick drop-in are taking up more of the council’s time than they would otherwise, as appointments have to be booked.

Mr Gunner reassured that the building ‘isn’t closed’ with members of the public able to approach the reception desk.

“Staff are working there, councillors are having meetings there, and the public can go to the reception, and they are coming to the building and having appointments with council staff,” he said.

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“It is as ‘closed’ as a GP surgery, where you also can’t just wander in.

“Not a single person has contacted me to complain they can’t access council services because they can’t freely wander around the building.

“The public can come into the building to the reception desk; they can’t just wander around the building – rightly – as part of our health assessment to mitigate the risk of Covid-19.”

An Arun District Council spokesperson said: “The council continues to deliver services to our residents, albeit it in a slightly different way.

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“With cases of Covid-19 continuing to rise, and many of our visitors to the buildings being vulnerable, we have a duty of care to ensure safe working practices.”

“The public are able to attend both the Civic Centre in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis Town Hall to meet with an officer, by appointment, so that our buildings can remain Covid-safe.

“Officers are working both in the building and remotely to continue to provide services in the safest and most efficient way possible.”

Visitor figures

In-person visitor numbers to the Civic Centre for housing, general enquiries, meet and greet services and appointments decreased between the 2019 and 2021 financial years.

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In-person visits had previously been increasing steadily, with a high of 24,000 in 2018/19.

Zero visits were recorded in 2020/21, when the Civic Centre was closed to the public due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Anyone who approached the front desk during the closure was redirected to the council’s phone and internet services, unless they presented as homeless.

Visitor numbers at Bognor Regis Town Hall, at Clarence Road, have steadily declined from 20,360 in 2016/17 to just over 16,000 in 2019/20.

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Again, zero visits were recorded in 2020/21 due to the pandemic closures.

The figures don’t include those who used the revenues and benefits and homelessness triage services – services which are not handled by the council face-to-face.

Jessica Hubbard , Local Democracy Reporting Service