City council canteen is shut to save cash
COUNCIL workers are being told to bring packed lunches or buy their meals from shops as the staff canteen shuts as part of cutbacks.
The subsidised Civic Centre restaurant has closed and will not reopen when workers return after the Christmas break as bosses look to save more than £70,000 a year.
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SALES SLUMP: Paul Shotton, city council deputy leader.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council launched a review of the service in 2011 after a slump in sales saw annual losses mount but originally planned to out-source it to a private firm.
Now they have decided the canteen, which is on course to raise £30,000 less than expected in 2012/13, is not financially viable without council subsidy and will close.
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Cafes at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and Gladstone Pottery Museum – which have made £5,000 less than predicted this year – will be signed over to a private firm in June to save them from closure. A canteen at the authority's Cromer Road depot closed in April.
Communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles called on councils to shut subsidised canteens as part of his '50 sensible savings' document for local authorities.
The authority is making savings of £21.1 million next year.
Councillor Paul Shotton, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for finance, procurement and commission, said: "A short-term plan with changes to the operation of the catering service at the Civic Centre was introduced to find out its financial viability for being outsourced.
"It is now considered that it is not viable and it has been decided to close the facility at the end of the calendar year.
"The catering service at the Potteries Museum and Gladstone cafe are in the process of being tendered, with a start date for the new operator being June 1, 2013. The Cromer Road canteen closed in April this year."
Sales at the Civic Centre canteen have fallen by 26 per cent in a year despite a price freeze.
The Civic Centre is up for sale and will close in 2015 but the council's controversial new headquarters in Hanley is unlikely to feature a canteen.
Plans for the Central Business District include cafes and restaurants run by private chains around a central public square.
Workers will also be encouraged to use shops in the rest of the city centre.
Resident Sylvia Arnold, aged 55, of Meir, said: "I'm pleased they are not going to close the Potteries Museum cafe because it would be very strange to have something that big without anywhere to have a bite to eat, especially with the interest in the Hoard.
"With all of the cuts I don't know how they have managed to keep the staff canteen running for so long. We shouldn't be paying for them to have cheap meals."
Comments
by stokepotter
Friday, December 28 2012, 8:11PM
“Those working in the Civic Centre also had a trolley service coming around to provide sandwiches / cakes etc. I don't know if this service is any longer there but if not, then there is an opportunity for Private enterprise to provide this service so that our poor "hard done to" council workers do not have to go outside into the cold and rain and face standing in queues like the rest of us.”
by Notanumber
Friday, December 28 2012, 6:35PM
“So... poor Stokie taxpayers have been stumping up what looks like £70k to keep the council office workers fed! Ask yourself, how many years has this being going on?
Yes George H, some animals are more equal than others!”
by oldmansalt
Friday, December 28 2012, 4:47PM
“Beats sacking lollipop ladies!”
by kjhgfd
Thursday, December 27 2012, 10:05PM
“when they move to hanley it wont be a canteen ,it will be a top of the range reataraunt,mark my words”
by Exserviceman
Thursday, December 27 2012, 7:39PM
“In a working life of 35 years (I was in the army for 15) I never worked anywhere with a subsidised canteen and always took my own snapping. I would never have considered wasting money on buying sandwiches except when as a lorry driver my day's work started from home. Are people really incapable of putting up a few sandwiches at n9ight or do they have too much money too need to do it?”
by Robnoxious
Thursday, December 27 2012, 5:39PM
“The council wanting their cake and eating it. Cut the working week, less holidays, pay freeze again, cutting unsocial hours, closures and job losses. Should not worry to much about the canteen because you won't be able to afford to eat. So much for this so called living wage they are going to implement. Although i doubt it will effect many people, as far as the rate is concerned. But we will be told different as always.I would like to see VDL and PERVEZ with their pack up. So all these people will be walking around Stoke for something to eat, queueing up to be served. I wonder how long the extended meal breaks are going to be, allowing for this. I can't see many people rushing back the way they are being treated. Looks like everyone is going to be in a pickle. Less work being done. Who can blame them. A good way to get the best out of your work staff, who at the end of the day will be loaded with more work and responsibilities.”
by castleblack
Thursday, December 27 2012, 11:55AM
“closing the canteen will help shops in stoke town centre workers will have to go out to get food oh no its moving to hanley tuff luck on stoke shops”
by mommanoesbest
Thursday, December 27 2012, 11:18AM
“Good, it's about time this in-house service was closed if it's not self-funding, as no business in their right mind would keep it open. On the plus side, when the move to the new building in Hanley happens, at least staff will have to venture outside for lunch which will help generate income for local business unless they all decide to go to Tesco).”