Successful one-stop shop halves hours to save cash
A ONE-STOP shop for council services in the centre of Pontardawe is to have its hours cut — even though bosses have hailed it a success.
Hard-pressed Neath Port Talbot Council is to halve its opening hours as part of a package of measures designed to fill a £7.3 million budget shortfall in the next financial year.
Unlike Neath and Port Talbot, Pontardawe does not have a full-scale civic centre.
The One Stop Shop, which opened 10 years ago, is the next best thing, with services including council tax queries, cash payments, housing repairs and electoral registrations.
Problems that cannot be dealt with on the spot can be transferred to officers in the appropriate department by telephone. But its opening hours are now going to be halved, which the council has estimated will save £26,000 in running costs over the next 12 months.
Neath Port Talbot finance director Derek Davies said the decision had been made by the full council and could not be reversed.
"It will now be up to the policy and resources scrutiny committee to determine how that will be done," he said.
"It cannot turn around and say it will not do it. The committee must look at the arrangements and decide how to achieve it, but the council decision has been made and cannot be undone."
In 2007, Neath Port Talbot spent £130,000 upgrading the one-stop shop. At the time, then-council leader Derek Vaughan said: "The one-stop shop has been a huge success and a customer satisfaction survey shows that the service is well received by residents."
The decision to cut its hours has been condemned by Ystalyfera councillor Alun Llewelyn.
"I disagree with it and I disagreed with it last week (at full council)," he told the cabinet scrutiny board. "I feel it is running down a service that is important for a particular part of the authority."
6 Comments
by Robodragon, pontardawe
Monday, March 15 2010, 11:08AM
“Mike
Its Mike James who is the labour Cabinet Member who hasn't provided support, along with the other labour Councilors the North West of NPTCC, (or in fact any of the Labour councilors!).
At least Plaid Councilors in all of NPTCC are fighting this, as well as voting against the budget cuts.
Would be nice for labour to say why they think this important service needs to be cut (and possibly leading to and eventual shutting.) Though I expect they need to cut back on so much of the funding (such as school buses and residential care) for the North West of NPTCC to pay for Port Talbot¿s £110 million bypass.
I wonder if this will be used to stop the regeneration of Pontardawe and stop the building of Ponty¿s ¿iconic¿ road bridge that nobody wants”
by Mark Barrow, Pontardawe
Monday, March 15 2010, 8:36AM
“Remarkable how the only tangible success NPT had had in Pontardawe is now being cut. The One Stop Shop provides excellent local access and services for local communities, including those the furthest removed from Neath etc. Shame on you NPT for restricting front line access for those who need it most, and shame on those local councillors who failed to raise their voices in Cabinet.”
by Andrew, Pontardawe
Sunday, March 14 2010, 10:43AM
“and this time without the spelling mistakes
"Neath Port Talbot finance director Derek Davies said the decision had been made by the full council and could not be reversed."
Sorry but if the council wakes up and listens to the people who elect them they can vote to rescind this ridiculous decision.
The savings they are planning to make by closing this fantastic service is less than £40K a few of the Cabinet members not claiming their allowances will cover this shortfall.
However if its claimed that not enough people are using it now, by removing opening hours will mean fewer can use it will lead to its closure and greater saving for NPTCC and the North of the County losing out again to Neath and Port Talbot. Or is this the first step?
I hope the all of the councilors in the area stand up and make it known if they favour its closure or not and will they help to keep the current opening hours?
The silence from certain labour councilors has been deafening on a number of local issues.”
by robodragon, Pontardawe
Sunday, March 14 2010, 10:40AM
“"Neath Port Talbot finance director Derek Davies said the decision had been made by the full council and could not be reversed."
Sorry but if the council wakes up and listens to the people who elect them they can cote to rescind this rediculous decision.
The savings they are planning to make by closing this fantasic service is less than £40K a few of teh Cabinet members not claiming their allowances will cover this shortfall.
However if its clained that not enough people are using it now, by removing opening hours will mean fewer can use it will lead to its closure and greater saving for NPTCC and the North of the County losing out again to Neath and Port Talbot. Or is this the first step?
I hope the all of the councillors in the area stand up and make it known if they favour its closure or not and will they help to keep the current opening hours?
The silence from certain labour councilors has been deafening on a number of local issues.”
by Linda, Neath
Saturday, March 13 2010, 8:45PM
“Saving about half the leaders allowance on NPT Council. How will this saving be made? By front line staff having their hours cut? Seems the norm for this council. Councillors still get their allowances - cost the council tax payer a fortune - but front line staff are losing their overtime, being told they will no longer get double time for working Sunday - and Ali Thomas magnanimously states in tonights paper - front page no less - he will refuse the rise from £48,000 to £52,000 he could take. Should we clap ? or cry ? as Megan said, Gordon Brown states constantly - we will protect front line jobs - while the councils - who he must be absolving responsibility for - cut front line services and hang on to their massively inflated allowances for cabinet positions - while they employ officers at inflated wages £75,000 pa and up - isn't it time they felt the pinch with all the rest who had to bail out the banks ? These allowances are not even what they live on - they have other means of income also - keep the county borough councillors to try and hang on to some sort of democracy and take out the cabinets - save a fortune - perhaps it is worth looking at how much would be actually saved by not using the cabinet system. Thena all councillors would earn their allowance and people might know more of what goes on in that citadel.”
by Megan, Bonymaen
Saturday, March 13 2010, 9:19AM
“So much for the leader of the U.K. Labour party, Gordon Brown saying only a few days ago, "We must save frontline services" If this isn't a frontline service, along with care homes and schools, nothing is.”