WITH an ever-increasing population across South Gloucestershire, front-line services like the One Stop Shops are needed more than ever.

Having a point of contact with your local authority is a vital asset, particularly when it comes to the bureaucratic responsibilities that are part of being a homeowner, such as paying taxes or claiming benefits.

This is especially true given the increasing number of elderly people who are not necessarily computer literate migrating back to the area.

The reality is that, while South Gloucestershire Council claims the Thornbury OSS is used less than all the others, there will always be one that is used less than the rest. That is just simple mathematics.

Regardless of whichever one is the least used, that facility is still in use, and that is the point that they seem not to grasp in their quest to save money in a time of austerity.

Yes it might not be that hard to hop on a bus and head to Patchway or Yate, but if the council faces austerity, so do the residents they represent, and even bus fares add up.