Council Meeting 11 February 2021
Review of the Parish Office
1. The Council opened the Parish Office at The Gattinetts Business Centre,
Hadleigh Road, East Bergholt in January 2020.The office was secured for
three years at an annual rent of £2580. The main purpose of establishing a
hub in the village was to bring the Council closer to the residents by providing
a channel whereby local people could obtain information and assistance in
respect of Council services.
2. Initially it was advertised that the Clerk would be available for four hours on
each of two days per week but as the Clerk’s working pattern has developed,
he is available from 10am to 3pm Mondays to Thursdays and whilst some
appointments are made in advance, the vast majority of residents’ visits are
walk-ins.
3. In the year since the Parish Office has been open, there have been visits from
19 members of the public and eleven councillor visits (by six councillors)
together covering twenty-two different subjects. In all cases the Clerk has
been able to deliver a service or to take forward an ongoing matter.
4. During the first Covid lockdown the Clerk worked from home from 23 March to
15 June but returned to the office at the first available opportunity and
throughout the latest lockdown has continued to work from the office. The
facility is substantially self-contained and the office suite has all necessary
protective measures in place. Contact with the occupants of the other five
offices in the suite is minimal and comprises no more than passing the time of
day at best.
5. I much prefer to work at the office rather than at home. All the required papers
and records are available and importantly, once in the office I am in business
mode whereas at home there are domestic distractions not to mention the
clutter which working from home inevitably causes. I am also available to
meet and visit local people and inspect locations of the moment. Particularly
useful is the proximity to the cemetery where a number of duties have to be
undertaken and where residents can be assisted in selecting appropriate plots
for their loved ones.
6. I consider that the first year of the office has established the hub in the village
which is becoming more widely known and used more often by residents.
That is achieving the objective and as time goes by the hub will become more
firmly established and it is hoped will play a valuable part in the local
community.

Graham White
Parish Clerk
4 February 2021