U3A members view council chamber from the public gallery
Monmouthshire County Council welcomed a group of local residents from the University of the Third Age (U3A) for a guided tour of its headquarters in Usk on Friday 7th March.
U3A is a unique organisation providing learning opportunities for retired and semi-retired people and fifteen members of its Usk branch took the opportunity to see the county council HQ at close quarters. Guided by Programme Manager Sian Hayward, the visitors were welcomed in the reception area and shown the council chamber, workplaces, councillors’ quarters and meeting rooms before enjoying tea and biscuits. Accompanying Sian were Design Manager Mike Long and Facilities Manager Steve Williams who supplied the group with technical details and answered their many questions.
Sian said: “County Hall is something of a trailblazer as it is a base for 200 hundred staff but has only 88 desks. Monmouthshire’s agile working programme means that staff can work from wherever they need to be to do their jobs best, which has advantages for the way we serve the public plus it saves the council rather a lot of money.
Mike added: “The building itself has a number of green features such as a bio-mass burner, rainwater collection and extensive solar panels to benefit the environment. It has won an award for its green credentials, and has recently been nominated for another.”
The U3A group is just the latest organisation that has shown interest in the building and the way the council operates. Since opening in May 2013 around 15 public sector organisations have been welcomed to Usk.
