Buckinghamshire Council has confirmed that their offices at King George V House in Amersham are set to close, changing how residents can visit for face-to-face meetings.
At a meeting on Wednesday, December 13, it was agreed that the council access point will move from the building into the Amersham Library, located inside the Chiltern Lifestyle Centre. This change will take place in January of next year.
A council access point will also be opening in Chesham Library, which is currently undergoing refurbishment. Staff at these locations will be able to answer general queries about council services and can help residents report, pay for, or apply for a council service using the computers on site.
Staff who were based at King George V House will now move to office space in High Wycombe.
Councillor John Chilver, Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet member for accessible housing and resources, said: “This plan meets many aims so I’m really pleased to be in a position to confirm the details.
“We know that while it’s quicker and easier for most people to contact the council online, that to some people it’s really important to have that face-to-face interaction, so I’m pleased that we will be providing those face-to-face contact points in Chesham and Amersham, funded entirely by the money saved by closing the King George V building.
“It means we continue to have that customer presence in both Amersham and Chesham, plus we are delivering significant savings for the council taxpayer by closing the Amersham office. Office-based staff at the council now combine home working with a minimum of two days in the office, so we want to make sure we’re making the best use of the office space we provide – and maximising value for money – now working habits have changed since the pandemic.
“This has been a long-term goal as part of the financial savings made by becoming a single unitary council. Rationalising our office estate has been an important part of that savings programme.”
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