Issue - meetings

This report seeks Cabinet approval for plans to redesign the face-to-face public spaces in Brent Civic Centre in order to allow the Council to deliver an improved service for residents and customers.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

1)          To approve the plans to redesign customer spaces in Brent Civic Centre.

2)          To approve a budget of £1.96m for the redesign work and inclusion within the Capital Programme.

3)          To support the Libraries, Arts and Heritage Service to submit a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid and delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Resident Services to make decisions regarding this funding bid on the Council’s behalf.  

Councillor Southwood (Cabinet Member for Jobs, Economy & Citizens Experience) introduced a report outlining proposals for the redesign of face-to-face public spaces in Brent Civic Centre aimed at delivering an improved service to residents and the Council’s customers.

As context to the proposals, members noted the background to the Customer Access project and shift in customer behaviour following the covid pandemic impacting on the way customers were now accessing services and profile of those now presenting at the Civic Centre and Community Hub for support, often involving more complex needs.  Members were advised that the redesign project had therefore been designed to improve public spaces in the Civic Centre, with a focus on the Hub, Library, Mezzanine floor and Customer Service Centre in order to support an expanded offer and ensure that all customer spaces within the Civic Centre were fully utilised, safe, comfortable and accessible for residents and staff and able to unlock efficiencies in how customer facing services and the Civic Centre were able to operate.

In noting the key changes proposed in terms of the building redesign, members were advised that these had been shaped following extensive engagement and feedback from residents as well as frontline staff and would enable the current challenges in terms of the existing layout to be addressed whilst providing a range of additional benefits (as outlined within section 4.31 of the report) also ensuring customer facing services would be able to operate in a more integrated and holistic way.

Having welcomed the review and recognised the benefits identified in terms of supporting the way customer-facing services were operating whilst also delivering a space that would be welcoming, comfortable, accessible and could support the delivery of an expanded offer and future efficiencies, Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)        To approve the plans to redesign customer spaces in Brent Civic Centre.

(2)        To approve a budget of £1.96m for the redesign work and inclusion within the Capital Programme.

(3)    To support the Libraries, Arts and Heritage Service in submission of a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid and delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Resident Services to make decisions regarding this funding bid on the Council’s behalf.