Co. Londonderry - Partnership to provide Public with Better Service

Coleraine Borough Council and the Coleraine Citizen’s Advice Bureau have announced a new joint initiative to provide a better information service to the residents of the Borough. 

The project will see Catherine McNally, Senior Environmental Health Officer, spend one afternoon a month at the CAB offices on Lodge Road, to deal with any Council related issues.  Catherine will be able to deal specifically with Environmental Health issues, but will take other issues back to the appropriate departments within Coleraine Borough Council. 

The collaboration came about mainly as a result of increased referrals from the CAB and due to the cross over of work on areas such as fuel poverty and tenancy issues.  It was decided that a proactive approach was needed and Council would provide a representative to the CAB on a monthly basis. 

Speaking of the new initiative Catherine said, “I very much look forward to meeting the public and helping to resolve their concerns whether they be Environmental Health related or otherwise.  The number of referrals from CAB in recent months indicated that the general public needed specific advice on council related issues, and now I will be available to provide information or act as a sign posting service directing people to the appropriate departments within Council and hopefully achieve swifter resolutions to the publics concerns”.

CAB Manager, Angela Welsh added, “CAB staff provide a valuable service but with regards to council issues, obviously it is much better to have a Council representative give that information.  We are delighted to be entering into this joint working partnership and hope that the general public will avail of this new service”.

Catherine will be based at the CAB on the third Thursday of each month, from 2pm until closing.  The service begins on Thursday 19th April.

Issued Thursday 5th April 2007, by Victoria Graham, PR Manager, Coleraine Borough Council, Tel 028 7034 7042