Nottinghamshire County Council is making changes to the opening times of its customer service centre in response to a step change in the way many people are interacting with the Council.

Analysis of the 650,000 to 700,000 phone, web chat, email and SMS message enquiries it deals with every year, has shown that less than 0.1% of calls are made after 5.30pm on weekdays or on Saturdays.

So, starting this month, the contact centre is changing its opening times to 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The out-of-hours emergency call-out services for highways and social care will remain unchanged.

The changes coincide with an increase in the number of transactions and information available online at the County Council’s website, www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk

Actions you can carry out online, 24 hours a day, include:

• Apply for jobs
• Apply for school places
• Find school holiday dates
• Apply for Local Improvement Scheme funding
• Find out about and apply for free childcare
• Register to use recycling centres
• Report potholes, streetlight faults and other highway defects
• Apply and pay for a copy of a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate
• Pay or challenge a fixed penalty notice
• Apply for or renew a concessionary travel pass
• Pay and book for asbestos removal
• Book an appointment to register a birth or death
• Book and pay for 16-17 driver tuition courses
• Make social care payments

Councillor Neil Clarke, Chairman of Personnel Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, explained: “The way people get in touch with us outside normal office hours is changing, with more people taking advantage of increased ‘self-service’ options available online. These changes are intended to reflect that.

“We’ve only been receiving an average of 10-15 calls after 5.30pm on weekdays and at weekends, which is less than 0.1% of the total calls we receive. This is in contrast to an increase in enquiries from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, so we’ve taken the opportunity to review the opening hours of our customer service centre and focus our staff resources at times when customers want us most and when there is the greatest demand. We will continue to ensure we continue to make the most effective use of taxpayers’ money.

“This brings us into line with most other Councils – 81% of which open their customer service centres from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, or less.”

Full contact details for Nottinghamshire County Council, including customer service points for face-to-face contact and out-of-hours emergency contacts are available at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/contact-and-complaints/contact-us