Why has the council made this decision?
The council has decided to trial new opening hours for the customer services telephone call centre as part of improvements to how residents access council services.
The council are always looking to serve the needs of our local residents in the district. As part of that commitment we want to ensure we have our resources in the right places and we provide services in the way people expect. 80% of people now use the internet for information about services and that has been reflected in our data which shows phone calls to us are reducing and online service use is increasing.
For more information about the decision you can read the report here or view our latest news here.
What happens if I telephone the council between 2pm and 5pm?
Residents can still access our website 24/7 and our face-to-face services at Welch Way Witney office will be open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. If you can’t use these options you can call back the next working day.
Customers who call after 2pm will hear a recorded telephone message advising them that the telephone lines are closed. Customers will be directed to the council’s website to complete enquiries online or to call back during our opening hours from 9am to 2pm Monday to Friday.
How will someone in an emergency situation contact the council after 2pm?
For emergency situations such as homelessness support or reporting dangerous structures we will still have an out of hours service to make sure we keep people safe. When people call out of hours there will be a recorded message with further instructions. This service will only be for emergencies and not for other council services.
Are the council also closing their face-to-face offices at 2pm?
No, our face-to face services at Welch Way Witney will remain open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, to support anyone who needs that service.
Our customer services team will also still be responding to the council's main email address, website and live-chat enquiries on the website up until 5pm, Monday to Friday.
I cannot report a missed waste collection until after 4pm, but the phone lines are closed at 2pm, what am I expected to do?
Your options are:
- The quickest and easiest way to report a missed collection is online as this sends the report directly to our waste contractor Ubico: https://westoxon.gov.uk/report-it/
- You can also email customer services or report via our live chat
- Alternatively, you can telephone the next morning between 9am and 2pm on 01993 861000
- West Oxfordshire District Council Welch Way Witney offices are open until 5pm, Monday to Friday.
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