THE West Devon Borough Council customer service office on St James’ Street in Okehampton will close on April 6, it has been confirmed.

The council has said that customer footfall has been falling at the office year-on-year as customers increasingly use other methods to pay their bills or to contact the council. 

With the office costing £82,000 to keep open and the council under increasing financial pressure, the decision was made to close it last month. The council will send its locality officers to the Ockment Centre twice a week to offer an opportunity for Okehampton residents to meet borough council representatives face to face.

The quickest way to pay council tax bills is by Direct Debit, which can be set up online on West Devon Borough Council’s website. Customers who still wish to pay by cash or cheque can use any PayPoint or post office around the borough by simply taking their bill and paying over the counter.

Cllr Caroline Mott, lead member for customer first at West Devon Borough Council, said: ‘As more and more customers move to online payments, it was perhaps inevitable that we would need fewer offices. 

‘The money saved by closing Okehampton can be spent keeping other vital services running throughout the borough. Of course, some people will prefer face to face help and we understand this, so we will be making our locality officers available twice a week at the Ockment Centre to help any residents who need support.’

The locality officers will be available every Tuesday and Friday at the Ockment Centre, from 10am to 4pm, beginning on Tuesday, April 10 and Friday, April 13.

By closing the Okehampton office and moving to a cashless system from the beginning of April,  West Devon Borough Council will save a total of nearly £125,000 of taxpayer’s money each year. 

To use the council online services, visit www.westdevon.gov.uk