From the WMDC Press and Communications Office
CONNECT TO YOUR
COUNCIL
Citizens
are being encouraged to take advantage of a huge range of council services
now available online.
Wakefield
has launched the Connect to your Council campaign to promote the use of
its services on the internet.
It
is part of a nationwide programme that has been developed by councils and
the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and is set to
free over £1.1bn to front line services, simply by putting more online.
Residents
can make www.wakefield.gov.uk their first stop for everyday tasks such as
finding information on getting rid of garden waste, reporting a faulty
street light or paying bills. Busy parents can even use online forms to
organise child care, apply for a school place, or find out about school
holiday events - all from the comfort of their home at anytime of the day
or night.
It
is easy to find out how to report fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles,
whether you will need planning permission or proposed and ongoing
roadworks on key routes.
With
more available online it will help the Council deliver an ever improving
service and make it easier and more flexible for citizens to get in touch.
Latest
figures from the DCLG show that online services are proving increasingly
popular with council websites receiving over 13m visits every month. Sites
are being used for a wide variety of tasks with an estimated 2.7m payments
being made online in 2005/06 alongside 24,000 online planning
applications.
Cabinet
Member for Culture, Tourism and Sport Cllr Denise Jeffery said:
"Making our services accessible to more people is at the heart of our
customer care. The way we offer services to citizens is helping us to
deliver an ever-improving service to everyone, and saves money. It creates
flexibility in both the way people get in touch and when they choose to do
so."
Cabinet
Member for Resources Cllr Graham Stokes said: "It isn't just people
who are used to using computers that we are catering for. We are updating
the website to make services easier to find and use and many people are
finding the internet is giving them a new lease of life and a new way in
which to deal with the Council. We've got lots of older users who love the
way they can now deal with the council from the comfort of their own
home."
www.wakefield.gov.uk
has received a 195% increase in web site usage over the last year with
over 420,000 unique visitors.
Find
Council services online at www.wakefield.gov.uk
Ref:
PR879
Date: 14/06/06
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