First Street is the place for first class services

Manchester City Council’s new Customer Service Centre is the first port of call for a wide range of services from Tuesday 1 June.

The Customer Service, in Number One First Street at the junction of Albion Street and Whitworth Street West, will let visitors to access a number of different services in a single visit.

The welcoming new centre is open 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and services based there include council tax and housing benefits, Manchester Advice, licensing, planning and building control and the payments counter.

Meeters and greeters will help visitors find what they need. The modern, friendly environment includes access to self-service computers, comfortable waiting areas with children's play tables, baby changing facilities, a café and a small lending library.

The centre will be easy to get to as well as simple to use - it's a short walk from the town hall and for the first three months a free express bus service running from St Peter's Square will carry visitors to the Customer Service Centre.

Six young people, employed via the Future Jobs Fund which is creating hundreds of new jobs for long-term unemployed 18-24 year olds across Manchester, and based outside the town hall will also be on hand to help people find the way.

The Customer Service Centre will give a taste of the improvements which are in store when the Customer Service Centre moves to the town hall extension (the part of the town hall next to the Central Library) in 2013. The town hall extension and Central Library are being extensively refurbished to enable them to deliver state-of-the-art services, as well as to preserve the historic buildings.

Councillor Bernard Priest, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Finance and Human Resources, said: "We expect visitors to Number One First Street to have a first class experience. But don't take our word for it - come along and see what's on offer.

"The new Customer Service Centre is a key part of our commitment to continuously improve services for residents and other customers while reducing costs for council taxpayers."

The new centre at One First Street does not replace local council services in your neighbourhood. Libraries, leisure centres, district housing offices and Sure Start centres are among the other places where you can still access council services.

Manchester's Visitor Information Centre is also relocating from its current location in St Peter's Square to a new site on the corner of Piccadilly Gardens and Portland Street from 20 June. There will be a visitor information desk in the town hall's sculpture hall (near the Albert Square entrance) between 13 June and 20 June.