Plymouth Council has established an online service system aimed at bringing council services to the comfort of resident’s homes. The new site gives users the ability to deal with council matters without having to visit council buildings and offices. The scheme allows residents, businesses and landlords to find important information, check personal accounts and inform the council of any changes that may have recently occurred. It is also possible to make updates such as moving to paperless bills and set up Direct Debit payments for council tax or fines.

Councillor Mark Lowry, the Cabinet member for finance at Plymouth council explained, “Being able to provide people with instant access to their information at times more suitable to them is a positive step forward for the council, especially for businesses, landlords and people who work full time…E-billing has been around for years, it’s about time we could provide this service.”

A spokesperson from SmartDebit added: “We are seeing an ever increasing interest in moving services online as a means to save money and convenience for consumers providing a round the clock service that is accessible to all at any time. This service makes paying bills, fines and tax easy and saves time queuing at busy council offices.” He continues, “We have seen a significant increase in the number of organisations approaching SmartDebit in search of an online Direct Debit facility over the past few years. Consumers are increasingly expectant to pay for goods and services over the internet, making it critical to integrate e-commerce facilities on your website.”