A £350,000 plan is on the menu to bring the entire Angus meals on wheels service under one roof.
Currently split between locations in Forfar and Kirriemuir, community meals and Angus Joint Equipment Loan Scheme are part of an options appraisal which has emerged from a logistics hub proposal for several local authority services.
The council had hoped to involve the community laundry and community alarm control room in the overall project but has been forced to rethink after tenders for the scheme came in well in excess of the money available.
Head of adult services George Bowie, in a report to social work committee councillors on Tuesday, will set out a plan to buy currently leased premises in Forfar’s Carseview Road for £200,000 and spend a further £150,000 on the upgrading required to accommodate the meals on wheels service.
The premises would be shared with criminal justice service (CJS) staff.
If the plan goes ahead, it will lead to the axing of the CJS office in Arbroath, which has experienced less demand following the closure of the town’s sheriff court and the transfer of business to Forfar earlier this year.
Mr Bowie suggests the purchase option is the best available, having ruled out the possibility of moving the full community meals service to Kirriemuir’s Fairlie House.
He said: “Fairlie House currently accommodates half of the meals service. The move would double the number of meals freezers, staff and vehicles to be accommodated.
“This option was quickly discounted as the accommodation at Fairlie House is unsuitable in terms of space, road access and parking facilities.”
The committee paper indicates that the Carseview Road premises could easily serve as a community meals depot and also perform the CJS role.
“The building can accommodate the whole of the meals service, and has ample space to accommodate the 15 meals vehicles and allow for them to be securely parked and charged overnight,” it goes on.
“It will also accommodate all of the support staff requirements for the meals service, which are currently provided from two separate offices.”
The report adds: “The nature of the CJS client group makes it difficult to find partners to share accommodation with because of public safety issues presented by some CJS service users.
“Sharing with the community meals service would present no difficulties as there is no public caller requirement for that service.”
The equipment loan scheme accommodation question is more challenging and Mr Bowie recommends examination of further options.Though it could be located to Carseview Road, that would leave no room for the criminal justice service.
Initial discussions have also begin with Dundee officials over the feasibility of providing a service from their Claverhouse depot and it is recommended that a further report be brought forward in February.