Celebrations took place to mark the official opening of the new look reception area at Ashfield District Councils Kirkby offices, that brings together the Council and the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) under one roof.
The colocation project, which was procured through the empa minor works Framework will provide residents with a more streamlined service and a better customer experience.
The works, carried out by local construction firm, Robert Woodhead, provide a modern and bright reception area as well a digital zone, where residents can access computers and the internet for free.
Officially opened by Cllr Cheryl Butler, Leader of Ashfield District Council, she was joined by Rob Mitchell, Chief Executive of Ashfield District Council, Vicki Dyer, District Operation Leader for the DWP and Mark Maisey, Delivery Team Leader at Robert Woodhead Construction, in thanking everyone who made the project a success.
Cllr Cheryl Butler, Leader of Ashfield District Council says “Today marks not only the opening of this brilliant new space, but also the start of a relationship between the Council and the DWP and their commitment to bring a more joined up service to the residents of Ashfield. Residents are now able to access the Council, DWP and Nottinghamshire Police all under one roof, this type of joined up working can only bring benefits to the local community.”
“It also provides the Council with a way of generating income from rent that can then be used to fund and maintain vital public services across the district”.
Mark Maisey, Team Leader for Robert Woodhead, which previously carried out the refurbishment of the Ada Lovelace building for Ashfield District Council, said: “This project was procured through the Scape Framework and I truly believe this made a difference to its success. It gave us the chance to engage with the Council and DWP a lot earlier in the process, enabling a high level of collaboration between all the teams. Our site manager, Dave Turner, had also previously worked on the Ada Lovelace building, helping him to build positive relationships and carry any lessons learnt from the previous project, into this one. We’re delighted with the outcome.”