Council reviews town hall booking policy

THE TOWN Hall booking period has been extended after a review by Moray Council.

A recent story in the ‘Gazette’ revealed that bookings for the following year do not open until the Moray Council offices at Auchernack reopen after the festive break. This meant queues outside Auchernack House in the New Year in all weathers, on a first-come-first serve basis, which was not ideal, particularly for older people.

However, it has been decided that bookings for 2016 will be taken from noon on Wednesday, December 3 which will also ease the workload on council staff early in 2015.

“It is always a busy time of the year due to inquiries about issues such as housing and benefits which have built up over the Christmas break,” said a council spokesperson, “and taking bookings for the town hall places an even greater burden on staff.

“Therefore, to prevent people from experiencing delays it seems sensible to open bookings prior to Christmas during a period which is generally quieter.”

The spokesman added: “We are also conscious that the current system for taking bookings is not always convenient for user groups and we are looking at other options.

“These include the possibility of online bookings although we are mindful that not everyone has access to a computer.”