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Councillor Townsend asked: Could the leader provide an update on the identified budget saving of £94k of closing the Civic Centre for two days a week? The leader will be aware of the feedback received to this proposal, particularly on the impact on statutory services which need to be accessible for “walk-ins”. Will he also provide an update of the latest assessment of the condition of the building, given its heating problems and the fact that the council is not actively looking at selling, or leasing part of the building. Councillors Batrouni and R Howells responded: As part of the MTFP savings cycle, it was agreed by Council in February 2024 to close the Civic Centre for two days per week to recoup savings through a reduction in utility costs. Mondays and Fridays are indicated as the best days to close, limiting impact on Members, services and visitors. Work is being completed to ensure that services that must operate at the Civic, such as those providing emergency contact, are able to continue to do so. The Civic Centre isn’t a first point of contact for most services. A number of services are located within the Central Library building in the city centre and these will continue to be available. A five-year plan of action is in place to carry out improvements and repairs to Newport’s historic Civic Centre. In July Cabinet it was agreed that Capital funding is released to support year 1 of a Civic Centre investment project, this will include repairs to the roofs and the clock tower. We are actively seeking alternative uses for part or whole of the building.
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