Decision details

To agree recommendations following a modernisation review of the Shop Mobility service.

Exempt report of the Corporate Director (Housing and Communities) on the modernisation review of the Shop Mobility service.

(1)       The Decision Taken

RESOLVED:

(unanimous)

Cabinet considered and approved to cease the Shop Mobility service with immediate effect and therefore not re-instate the service following its suspension in March 2020 due to Covid-19.

(2)       Reasons for the Decision

The review of the service had been carried out as part of the Council’s Modernisation Programme and had given thought to a number of issues and explored a number of options for the future of the service.

It was important that the Council regularly reviewed the non-statutory services it delivered to ensure they provided value for money and continued to have a positive impact on the wider communities of Welwyn Hatfield.

The demand for the Shop Mobility service had reduced by nearly 50% over the last couple of years, this in part was likely to be linked to mobility scooters now being more easily accessible for private purchase.

With the demand for the service decreasing and the cost to maintain the service increasing, the Council had made the difficult, but considered decision to propose to stop providing the service. 

Members agreed that the Council had to make a difficult decision, especially as the cost to maintain the Shop Mobility service had increased and only benefited a few people.