City Council Reception Improvements
Visitors to the City Council’s reception will notice some changes as a number of improvements are introduced.
The Council is aiming to make it quicker and easier for residents to get help by introducing an appointment system so that people don’t have to wait.
Currently residents who come to reception are given a number and have wait for an advisor to become free however, the new system coming in from April 1 will mean people will know exactly when they will be seen.
The system will also allow for more time to be spent with vulnerable residents and those with complex issues.
Opening hours are also being extended as part of the new system from 3pm to 5pm and appointments will be offered until 5pm everyday.
Emergency appointments will also be allocated for people with serious issues that need to be dealt with immediately.
And residents who pay their Council bills in cash will now also be able to pay at lots of locations around the city using the PayPoint service and at their local Post Office.
The move is designed to make it more convenient for people as they can pay their bills locally to where they live or work.
Following the change payments will no longer be accepted at the Council reception. However, in order to give people time to adjust, the current arrangements will stay in place until April 30.
Reception staff are happy to help visitors find their nearest PayPoint or Post Office location.
And from April 1 reception will open an hour later on Wednesdays at 10am.
The change is to allow for staff training to ensure that staff are up to date with the latest information and to give residents the best service.
Councillor Hannah Norman, Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources, said: “We are constantly reviewing our processes to ensure we’re providing the best possible service to residents and we know that people would like us to make it convenient for them to speak to us.
“Appointments have been introduced at many other local authorities and it has been very successful at reducing waiting times and making it easier for people to be seen as well as allowing officers to dedicate more time to those people who need extra help.“
Appointments can be booked for April 1 onwards from March 25. Book an appointment on 01452 396396, for a Council Tax appointments call 01452 396 495 and for Housing Benefit appointments call 01452 396 440.
To find your nearest PayPoint visit https://consumer.paypoint.com/ and for your nearest Post Office https://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder