OUTRAGED councillors have spoken out against plans to close the One Stop Shop in Thornbury.

The South Gloucestershire Council service, based in Thornbury Library, which provides residents a point of contact in the town with council officials, is set to close next year following a decision by the council’s resources committee last week.

Having been under threat for several months, the decision has come after a recent consultation found the service to be the quietest in the county, not serving any “priority neighbourhoods”, and handling lower levels of complex cases for topics like housing benefits, council tax and homelessness than others.

Despite this, Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have spoken out against the decision, saying that while the area is generally affluent, not all of the users of council services there would be, highlighting the well-used food bank, as well as the not insignificant number of poor, vulnerable and marginalised residents in the area.

Linda Harris, chairman of the Thornbury and Severn Vale branch of the Labour Party, described the decision as “appalling”.

“The people of Thornbury and surrounding villages and communities are being targeted with scant concern for the consequences,” she said.

While in support of the greater use of the council’s digital services, Mrs Harris said she felt there needed to be a smooth migration for the general public, rather than pulling the plug on existing face-to-face services too hastily.

She said: “The One Stop Shop is the only place in our area where people can speak to a council official face to face.  For people in need in particular, the One Stop Shop has proved to be the key to unlocking vital local services.”

Fellow Labour Party member, Sonia Jackson added: “This severe step for the people of Thornbury is the result of the Tory government’s unnecessary cuts.  We need to be investing in services like the One Stop Shop, not closing them down.”

A spokesman for South Gloucestershire Council said: “The committee took the decision to close the Thornbury One Stop Shop as part of its ongoing council savings programme.

“While we understand that this will be frustrating for some of the users of the service, the council has also agreed plans to provide some support through Thornbury Library.

“The public are also able to access council services online and raise issues by calling the Customer Contact Centre on 01454 868009.

 “This decision will ensure the remaining in-person customer service centres, in the priority neighbourhoods of Kingswood, Patchway and Yate, are sustainable for the long term.

 “There will be no immediate impact on services in Thornbury, the closure is planned to take place in the middle of 2017 and further details will be available as we consult with staff.”