North West Leicestershire District Council's new Customer Centre is due to open later this month - with a promise of a 'much more welcoming' experience for visitors.

The venue is set to launch on Tuesday, November 29, once the final preparations are complete.

It is relocating to Coalville town centre at the Belvoir Road entrance to the Belvoir Shopping Centre, and will open to the public after around nine months of transformation work, providing a modern and welcoming customer experience.

All customer appointments will take place at the Customer Centre for services including housing, benefits, council tax and environmental health.

The council says that self-serve bays will allow customers to access their online accounts in a bright and accessible space.

Councillor Richard Blunt, Leader of NWLDC, said: "The way that people interact with their councils has been changing for a long time, with online accounts and interactive websites putting our services at people's fingertips with smartphones, tablets or computers.

"But there are always going to be customers who need to see us face to face, and our new Customer Centre brings that into an accessible town centre location. 

"The new centre is a fresh and modern environment, much more welcoming than our dated Council Offices, so we hope people will have a better experience when they do need to visit us."

A police enquiry desk will open in early 2023 in the new Customer Centre. Police enquiries will continue to be taken at the Council Offices until then.

Inspector Wayne Nimblette, commander for the North West Leicestershire Neighbourhood Policing Area (NPA), said: "We're looking forward to continuing working alongside the council in our new home.

"While we will continue to engage closely with one another, moving to a more central location within the shopping centre will also allow the community we serve a better opportunity to speak to us and raise any issues or concerns they may have."

Rupert Matthews, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "This is a really positive development and I'm proud to have played a part in it. Wherever I go people tell me that they would like the police to be more visible and easier to access and I agree with them. That's why it's so important that all the public agencies work together like this to improve accessibility to the services they provide. That is what I promised at the outset and I'm delighted to see yet another step in the right direction."

Responding to customer demand, the council has changed its opening hours:

• Monday: 9am – 5pm

• Tuesday: 9am – 5pm

• Wednesday: 9am – 5pm

• Thursday: 9am – 4pm

• Friday: 9am – 5pm

Customers writing to the council should now use a PO Box address:

NWLDC, PO BOX 11051, Coalville, LE67 0FW