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 a move towards au- tomation, with completion of the work on an automated switch- board. 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 the editor at
stephen@downsmail.co.uk.
WIrelaunches and discovers predecessors
WHEN news began to circulate that Hunton was to form aWomen’s Institute, word came back from Devon that one had existed in the village in the 1950s. And theWest Country caller, from Brixham – whose mother was the group’s secretary – had photographs to prove it. Pictured right aremembers of the group with visitors from London. Ann Sawtell, founder of the re-launched WI, which
met for the first time in August, now hopes to find out more about the former WI from theWest Kent Federation WI archives. She said: “We’ve had a gardening, singing and
walking group established over the last three to four years, so starting aWI seemed like a great idea.” The newly-formed WI’s first meeting attracted a full
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house of 27 at Hunton Village Club. Mrs Sawtell said: “Everybody enjoyed it and we plan to meet on the first Tuesday of the month.” For details or if you can help with information about the former WI call Ann Sawtell on 01622 820731.
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