Decision details

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Evelyn Archer)

The Corporate Director (Finance and Performance) submitted a report that updated Members on the progress within the Customer Service Centres and to consider the ways of accessing the Lancaster Town Hall. 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment, were set out in the report as follows: 

Public Access to Lancaster Town Hall

Option 1 – leave the front doors open. This would possibly retain a situation where some customers may think that the front doors still provide access to the Town Hall and therefore make an unnecessary trip up the front steps only to find the doors are closed and access is required around the side of the Town Hall. This option does allow the existing doors to be retained for fire exit purposes and still gives an impression that the Town Hall is open for business. 

Option 2 – close the front doors. The doors would be opened for civic occasions and for evening and weekend meetings as required. The doors would also have to be altered at a budget cost of £8,000 + VAT to allow for their emergency use as a fire escape. 

Staff and Member Access to Lancaster Town Hall

Option 1 – implement a new controlled access scheme into Lancaster Town Hall. This system would allow for a much improved security access to the Town Hall which can be adapted to be used in other buildings as part of the Access to Services review. More importantly, it has the key benefit of improving emergency evacuation procedures. Funding is already available within the Customer Service Centre budget as set out in the Financial Implications section of the report. 

Option 2 – retain existing access arrangements for staff and Members. A saving in the Customer Service Centre budgets would be made amounting to £11,100. This would not lead to any improvements in access arrangements and retains the existing  safety risk to visiting staff/ members in that they cannot easily be identified as being present in the building during an emergency evacuation. In addition, should any legal action be taken against the Council for having insufficient evacuation procedures, it is likely that the Council’s defence would be inadequate. For instance, a member of staff injured as a result of being untraced in an emergency, would have a reasonable case for negligence against the authority. 

The officer preferred options were set out in the report as follows: 

Public Access to Lancaster Town Hall

Cabinet are asked to determine their preferred option in respect of the front doors at Lancaster Town Hall. 

Staff and Member Access to Lancaster Town Hall

Option 1 was the preferred option as this would be more user friendly and provide improved security and evacuation procedures within a budget that is available.  

It was moved by Councillor Evelyn Archer and seconded by Councillor David Kerr: -

“(1)   That there be no change to the current arrangements for the front door of Lancaster Town Hall, but that improved signage, facing 3 ways, be provided.”

Members voted unanimously in favour of (1) above.  Members then voted on the second proposal, as set out below: 

“(2)   That the proposal for staff and member access to Lancaster Town Hall, as set out in option 1, be approved.” 

3 Members voted in favour (Councillors Evelyn Archer, June Ashworth and David Kerr), 5 Members voted against (Councillors Jon Barry, Eileen Blamire, John Gilbert, Tony Johnson and Maia Whitelegg) and 1 Member abstained from voting (Councillor Roger Mace), whereupon the Chairman declared proposition (2) to be lost. 

Note:  Councillor Abbott Bryning did not vote on (2) above. 

Resolved Unanimously:

(1)     That there be no change to the current arrangements for the front door of Lancaster Town Hall, but that improved signage, facing 3 ways, be provided. 

(2)         That Cabinet note the information relating to customer access to the new customer Service Centres. 

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Report of Corporate Director (Finance and Performance). 

Head of Property Services. 

Reason for making the decision:

The decision allows the existing doors to be retained for fire exit purposes and still gives the impression that the Town Hall is open for business during opening hours. 

With regard to staff and member access to Lancaster Town Hall the decision to retain existing access arrangements for staff and Members avoids expenditure in the Customer Service Centre budgets amounting to £11,100.