Council tenants will challenge Kingston Council on its plans to save money by shutting contact centres, when they meet in the Antoinette Hotel on Thursday, March 25.

The Kingston Federation of Residents’ Associations (FRA) has claimed the council plans to close all of the contact centres as part of its cost-cutting One Council programme.

Derrick Johnson, chairman of the FRA, said: “Whether you’ve got a planning problem or a parking fine query, need help with a grant application or want to claim housing benefit, everyone’s inquiries, whether in person or by phone, will be dealt with through one general customer service team.

“It will make it far more difficult to speak to an expert on your particular problem and almost certainly take far longer to get complex issues resolved.

“That doesn’t sound like any improvement.”

A council spokesman said: “The council is not closing all community based contact centres; quite the reverse is true.

"It is actively discussing with partners through a community hubs project how services can be delivered more closely to residents to provide even better access.

“It is precisely because a single new customer contact team is being developed that a faster and more accurate service will be provided to residents, with specialist officers freed up to deal with more complex enquires that residents may have.”

The issue will be discussed at the housing consultative committee meeting at The Antoinette Hotel, Beaufort Road, at 7pm on Thursday, March 25.