Sandwell Council House set to open Saturday
Published on 5th October 2012
People can use services at Sandwell Council House in Oldbury tomorrow as Saturday opening begins a six months trial.
The council has increased opening times to make life easier for residents to report problems and pay bills.
The ground floor One Stop Shop offers a range of services, from payment of council tax, rent and other bills to dealing with housing and council tax benefit.
The One Stop Shop will be open from 10am to 1pm tomorrow.
It will also open to 7pm on Wednesdays.
Deputy council leader Councillor Mahboob Hussain said: "We want to make it easier for everyone to use council services, whether getting advice on housing or paying a bill.
"These new and extended opening hours will particularly help people who are at work during the week and can't get to Council House during traditional opening times."
The new opening hours will be run as a pilot for six months to see how popular it is with residents.
Money for the scheme will come from existing resources in the council budget.
The council already offers a range of services online so residents can, for example, pay their council tax, report a pothole or request a bulky waste collection 24 hours a day.
Other Sandwell services already available outside normal office hours include seven-days-a-week burials and cremations and Sandwell Register Office at Highfields, West Bromwich, which is available for weddings and other ceremonies during weekends and public holidays as well as weekdays.