New home for British Consulate in Alicante

AFTER three years and looking at 14 buildings, it was finally decided that Rambla Mendez Nuñez 28-32 in the heart of Alicante was to be the new home of the British Consulate.

The Euro Weekly News was granted a guided tour of the new office facilities by Consul Paul Rodwell who said he had been fighting for a new office for his team for three years. He added: “For me it is great, we have planned it from scratch and it works for the team and the customer.”

The premises are not ostentatious, a testament to the times, despite it being the busiest consulate office in the world; the morning of our tour 10 emergency travel documents had already been issued.

Figures for 2011/2012 show staff carried out 2,500 assistance cases (the most in the world) 1,250 emergency travel documents; helped and advised 580 bereaved families; assisted 130 vulnerable and hospitalised people and 550 detainees.

This is all dealt with from the sixth floor office. The premises now boast better street level and disabled access in a more central location.

There is a modern counter operation and an interview room for more private meetings as well as a conference room.

Employees continue to work in offices with an open plan feeling, but with better sound proofing and a more compact layout. Video conference facilities are available and unclassified networking facilities are in place making it ‘future proof’. It is also fully secure with six kilometres of cabling installed and a CCTV system in place.

Only 10 per cent of clients actually need to travel to the British Consulate, so for help and advice visit the website www.gov.uk/world/spain email info.consulate@foc.gov.uk or call 965 216 022 Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm.