WEST Devon residents will soon have 24/7 access to council tax and business rates information with the launch of a new 'self-service' phone line.

The new system has been designed to allow residents to carry out simple transactions such as making a payment or informing the council of a change in circumstances, whenever they need to.

All calls to the council tax and business rates helpline now have access to the service by choosing from a set of simple options.

Advisors will be available during office hours if enquiries are complex or users wish to discuss the matter in person.

Darren Cole, the council's head of customer services, said: 'Setting up this new 24-hour service is another important step in our continued quest to improve customer service.

'At present, anyone wishing to contact us by telephone can only call during normal office hours but at certain times our lines get extremely busy and callers may not always be able to get through as quickly as we would like.

'Staff can get tied up dealing with straightforward enquiries and this can lead to delays in dealing with more complex or urgent cases.

'In most instances, straightforward enquiries could be dealt with faster and more efficiently with an easy to use automated service.'

The council has developed the 24-hour self-service line with Inform Communications plc – a company with more than 15 years experience in the provision of telephone and email support services to local authorities.

Many other councils have been using such phone lines for some time and have seen great improvements in both customer service and internal efficiency as a result.

To access the new 24-hour self-service, call the borough council's tax and business rate helpline on 01822 616939.