Council customer service office to close for move

The department will be available on August 27

A Coventry City Council customer service centre is set to close for a week as it relocates offices.

The centre, which deals with council tax and housing benefits enquiries, as well as highways, waste services and pest control queries, will close at Broadgate House on Thursday.

It will reopen at the Central Library on 27 August. The library, on Smithford Way, will also shut for a day on Tuesday to facilitate the move.

It follows a decision by the council earlier this month to sell off the grade II listed Broadgate House.

Councillor Richard Brown called the new location "an ideal central venue" for the wider community.

He added: "The move will bring all customer services alongside the wide range of library services and we hope it will make it even easier for residents to access council services and library facilities in one convenient location."

During the closure, residents will still be able to access council services via its website and on the phone.

Earlier in August the council's head of development, disposal and acquisitions was given permission to market Broadgate House, which houses the iconic Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom clock.

Speaking at a cabinet member meeting, Paul Beesley said: "Our intention is to go out to the market to seek contractors, developers and investors to bring proposals forward including the provision of private and affordable housing but specifically excluding any student housing.

"Until we go out to market and clearly understand who is out there and what proposals are available we can't guarantee what will come back but our anticipation is that there will be developers out there who would look at refurbishing the upper floors for an alternative use. It is something we have done already elsewhere in the city."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.