News
downsmail.co.uk Council services to go digital
MAIDSTONE Council is looking to reduce its face-to-face contact with residents. The council has drawn up a three-year plan to improve effi- ciency while saving money. In the current year, proposals in-
clude ending the late-night open- ing of the Maidstone Gateway on Thursdays and introducing plan- ning appointments with gateway staff to free up the duty planning officer. There will be an increased move
towards automation, with comple- tion of the work on an automated switchboard. The council also wants to allow residents to apply for parking per- mits online and further improve its website, including making it more usable for mobile devices. The Gateway’s opening hours
will be changed to 9am–5pm to help with the increasing number of emails being received and, at the same time, it will look at ways of reducing incoming and outgoing post. The council wants to move more telephone payments to the Gate- way’s automated line and review its policy on taking credit card pay- ments and cheques.
Next year the council will review
the Monday-Friday opening hours of the Gateway, aswell as Saturday opening, and begin efficiency re- views of the finance, parks and leisure departments. It will also ex- plore the introduction of web chat. In the third year, the council will consider outsourcing the contact centre. In 2012, the council carried out
focus groups and surveys with res- idents and businesses, which found many felt frustration with red tape and the lack of communication be-
tween council departments. Urban residents were much more likely than their rural counterparts to in- teract with the council face-to-face. Respondents generally used the internet to find out information, but almost half used the phone to make a complaint. More residents and businesses
would prefer to interact with the council by email in the future than the current numbers and fewer by phone.
Residents and businesses criti- cised the council’s website, which
has since been re-designed and re- launched, with feedback from resi- dents largely positive. It costs the council about £7.86 for
a face-to-face meeting in the Gate- way, £2.35 if someone telephones the contact centre, 21p for awebsite visit, 67p to process an incoming letter and 46p to process an outgo- ing letter, resulting in a total spend of about £1.7m in 2011/12. Would you prefer to interact with Maidstone Council online than in person? Email us at
stephen@downsmail.co.uk.
Landlords call time at Bell
THE landlord and landlady of the Bell Inn have waved goodbye to Bearsted after 23 years. Susan Finnis and Adrian
Frampton thanked their customers and friends at the Greene King pub for helping them enjoy their time at the pub, inWare Street. Sue said: “We have had a great
time and could not have done it without our regulars and people popping in for something to eat.” The couple, who have moved to Downswood, hope to take on pub
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relief work after a holiday. Sue said: “We were asked to sign another five-year term at the pub and in such an incredibly difficult market it was something we were not prepared to do.” A spokesman for Greene King
said: “We are very sorry to see them go and wish them all the best.” He said the brewery planned to
invest in the pub and it was looking for a long-term tenant. He added that enquiries from local entrepreneurs would be welcome.
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