Harrow Civic Centre is set to close from the end of January 2023, with the council claiming reduced in-person interactions and budget-saving measures made the decision preferable.
According to the council, 99 per cent of customer interactions are carried out online or over the phone. In-person services will be spread amongst several venues, each serving a different purpose.
Greenhill Library, off College Road, will host a streamlined reception that will seek to provide in-person help. Harrow’s Register Office and civil wedding venue will move to offices next to Greenhill Library, known as the Pavilion, from spring 2023.
The Pavilion will act as a venue for civil marriage ceremonies for up to 50 guests, with the library garden space available for wedding photographs. Citizenship ceremonies for up to 25 new citizens at a time are also intended to be held at The Pavilion once or twice a week.
A second reception on Gayton Road will be opened, providing help to those with complex or urgent in-person enquiries for housing and social care, including anyone at risk of homelessness or those with concerns over child welfare or vulnerable adults.
A spokesperson for Harrow Council said: “The Civic Centre is now largely empty and will close completely in February 2023. Our new offices are smaller and much cheaper to run. At a time when budgets are tight, it’s a move that makes a lot of sense.
“The large site on which the Civic Centre stands is set to be transformed into a new neighbourhood of high-quality housing. Further details will follow in the new year.”
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