Council’s very poor reception (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Council’s very poor reception

10:05am Friday 26th June 2009 in

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Sir.–Here’s a joke for you. When is a reception not a reception? When it’s a council reception?

Why is that a joke? Well, for some unknown reason council bosses have decided to shut the main reception desk in the Civic Offices and instead send all visitors or residents over to the Parklands reception to sign-in – even if the person they’ve come to see works in the main building.

So what I saw the other day were residents parking their car near the Parklands building, walking to the main buildings reception to read a note directing them back to Parklands to sign-in and then telling them to walk back to the main building for their meeting.

And while this may seem an amusing case of odd council procedures, it was certainly no joke for people who have difficulty with their mobility.

But the twist in the tale to this little story is that after 5pm, the reception in the main building is open and staffed! Why? Because that’s generally when the councillors start turning up for their meetings.

Come on Basingstoke council, I’m sure you can do better than this! This is a cutback in frontline services.

–Councillor Laura James, Leader of the Labour Group, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council.