A successful high-tech contact centre in Barrow could soon be bidding for more work.
The county council-run Consumer Direct centre, which currently provides advice to consumers across the North West, could be offering its services to other parts of the UK following agreement by the council’s cabinet at its meeting today (5 February).
Consumer Direct is run in Barrow by Cumbria County Council and Agilisys Ltd. with funding from the Office of Fair Trading.
The Furness centre is one of eleven set up to deliver the telephone and online advice service across the UK since 2005. It employs 50 specialist staff who provide free advice on how to sort out problems with goods and suppliers.
Cumbria's contract to provide the service in the North West expires in 2010. Between now and then, the total number of UK centres is expected to fall as other regions choose to shift their calls to a smaller number of larger centres.
The county council's cabinet has given officers permission to bid for this and other government-backed work as soon as it becomes available.
By continuing to expand the services provided by the Barrow centre, the council hopes to secure its long-term future beyond 2010.
In the three years it has been open, the Cumbrian centre has seen several successes. Last year, it was chosen by the government to pilot a new financial advice service. It is also in the running to take on telephone and online enquiries for a number of public utility watchdogs.
Councillor Gary strong, cabinet member responsible for community development and safety, said: "Consumer Direct has flourished in Cumbria and brought dozens of new high-quality jobs to Barrow.
"As the service enters a period of consolidation nationally, we want Cumbria to have the flexibility it needs to go out and win the new contracts which will help secure the Barrow centre's long-term future."
ENDS
Media enquiries to Mark Graham, Media Officer on 01228-606337
The Cabinet paper (item 16) considered by councillors at their meeting today