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Kent County Council has launched a consultation looking at how it delivers its community services.

Residents across Kent are being asked for their views on proposals between now and 26 March.

The consultation proposes the closure of some KCC buildings as well as co-locating some services, so they are under one roof. The proposals aim to help the county council fulfil its statutory responsibility to balance its budget and reduce its carbon footprint and get it closer to its net zero target ambition by 2030.

Deputy Leader Peter Oakford said: “This is the start of the conversation. We need to consult on these proposals and there are substantial savings to be made but this isn’t about reducing services, this is about delivering services in a different way.

“When you look across the inefficiencies within some of our estate, there may be a building that opens for two mornings a week and the rest of the time it is standing empty. It makes absolute sense for us to review our buildings and consider using some of them as hubs to bring different services together.

“Alongside these proposals we are also looking at the digital possibilities, the benefits of outreach services and considering how we continue to serve the community effectively in these changing times.

“But this is a consultation – no decisions have been made. We really want to hear what people think about our proposals and would urge people to take part.”

This is the first time in 40 years a significant review of how KCC uses its buildings has been carried out. The goal is to provide effective and sustainable services accessible in a variety of ways to meet the changing needs of the people of Kent. This is underpinned by data which considers how areas are affected by a number of factors including poverty, isolation, education levels, population growth and the distances between KCC premises.

The proposals within the consultation also serve to address rising costs and financial pressures impacting the council including high inflation, high interest rates and the backlog of maintenance costs. They would make operational savings of £6m and £7m of maintenance savings.

Any changes would not begin before next spring and would take place across an 18-month to two-year period.

More information and the consultation questionnaire is available on the KCC website here, including details of 24 drop-in events across the county where people can talk to staff about the proposals and also ask any questions. There is also a short video giving a summary of what is being proposed and why.