WEST Devon Borough Council's customer services team are moving out into the community to meet the public over the coming weeks. On Wednesday, the team offered their services at Wesley House, Princetown, They will also be there on the following Wednesday, December 13 between 9.30am and midday. Tomorrow (Thursday), the council's customer service centre in St James Street, Okehampton, will be open throughout the town's Edwardian Evening. It will also be open on the mornings of Saturday December 9 and Saturday December 16, giving the public added opportunities to access the information and services already provided. The council's trained advisers are able to give residents help and information on services from refuse collection to recycling and from benefits to bus passes. If the advisers cannot help there and then, they will make their priority to get back to you as soon as possible. Cllr James McInnes, who leads a project team on improving access to services in West Devon, said 'We provide services which a lot of people in our communities don't know about and our customer services team will be able to help people receive them locally. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible. 'Many members of the public have already benefited from the customer care of our team who can pass enquiries or complaints direct to other agencies.' It is hoped that if the service provided in Princetown and the Saturday opening in Okehampton prove successful they will be continued on a regular basis. Plans to take the service into other communities in the New Year are already underway, with regular outreach surgeries being held at the new Hatherleigh Community Centre from Tuesday, January 9. The surgeries, open in the mornings and tying in with Hatherleigh Market day, will provide services locally for residents of Hatherleigh and the surrounding area. It is hoped that each surgery will have a 'theme', for instance energy saving, as well as providing information and advice on a wide range of services.
