WORRIED Liberal Democrat councillors in Wyre Forest have called in a decision to relocate a one-stop shop of services from Kidderminster Town Hall to an out of town centre site.

Fran Oborski MBE and Shazu Miah are demanding a full public consultation into the relocation of The Hub to the Green Street Depot.

Earlier this month, Wyre Forest District Council’s Conservative administration announced it would spend £3million to transform two existing buildings in Green Street and demolish the existing depot on the same road.

The Hub – along with benefit and revenues staff - would then be transferred to the new depot – resulting in a £50,000 saving for the authority that it currently pays Kidderminster Town Council to lease the building.

But the Liberal Democrats have called in the cabinet decision, asking for it to be looked at more closely because of potential access issues for service users.

They said: “Too little attention has been placed on the inaccessibility of Green Street compared with the Town Hall.

“There has been inadequate public consultation with those who will be the worst affected.

“The nearest bus stop is outside Morrison’s which is a third of a mile away and is accessed only by buses inbound to the town centre.

“There is no outbound bus stop anywhere in Green St so people using public transport will be forced to walk back into town to catch a bus home.

“Access by public transport will be extremely difficult for anyone with mobility problems or for parents with babies in buggies or toddlers.

“Although Disabled Parking Bays are to be provided on site there is no immediately adjacent public car park.

“The whole point of Wyre Forest House as a “single site” is negated by moving revenues and benefits Staff out to Green St.”

“We call for a full public consultation to be carried out. This should include a survey of everyone who has used The Hub since September, consultation with Parish and Town Councils, a public survey in The Shuttle and consultation with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.”

But Council Leader Councillor Marcus Hart said: “The whole administration is exceptionally disappointed that such a request has been submitted, given that the matter was fully debated and discussed by the cross-party Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the proposals supported by a clear majority.

“All of the issues that Cllrs Oborski and Miah raise were considered by the committee - and indeed all of these matters were fully considered and debated by the cabinet in making its decision.”