Blueschool House to open on schedule

Herefordshire Council's central customer services team will move from Franklin House to the newly-refurbished Blueschool House, opening to customers on Monday 4 September 2017.

The joint customer services hub will welcome the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Jobcentre Plus and housing services, meaning customers will save time and travel less when needing access to a variety of service providers.

Herefordshire Council will achieve a saving of over £1million over the next ten years by investing in Blueschool House, receiving rental income from DWP and saving on property costs for Franklin House.

Councillor Harry Bramer, Cabinet Member for Contracts and Assets, said: "I am pleased to announce that the Blueschool House joint customer services hub will open on time in September, despite the challenges we have faced along the way from discovering asbestos to improving the IT infrastructure.

"By sharing the space between Herefordshire Council customer services, Jobcentre Plus and housing services, we can provide a fully-accessible city centre hub with an improved experience for customers, including those with multiple needs."

All renovation works continue to be delivered within allocated funds, with part-funding from an underspend in the accommodation budget and a DWP revenue contribution. This will bring the total estimated cost to £1.92million.

The refurbishment of Blueschool House marks the completion of the council's current accommodation programme, although Herefordshire Council will continue to review its corporate premises and consider future opportunities when they arise.