Blaenau Gwent Council will open new Community Hubs to offer access to Council services closer to the public from Monday 21 June.
The new hubs are located centrally in local libraries managed by Aneurin Leisure Trust and will provide advice and information on a range of Council services. The hubs will initially open 1 day per week in each community due to the current Covid restrictions and opening hours and days of operation will increase as restrictions ease:
| Day | Location | Opening Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Abertillery Library | 10am - 4pm |
| Tuesday | Llanhilleth Institute | 10am - 4pm |
| Wednesday | Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr Libraries | 10am - 4pm |
| Thursday | Tredegar Library | 10am - 4pm |
| Friday | Cwm and Blaina Libraries | 10am - 4pm |
At the Community hub residents can access the following services initially:
- Information on Council Tax/Non-Domestic rates including discounts, payments and recovery
- Information about Benefits including Universal Credit, Council Tax reduction, free school meals, school clothing grants and benefit overpayments
- Make Blue Badge applications
- Access Community Services - including bulky waste bookings, waste/recycling timetables, HWRC bookings, and the ordering of recycling receptacles
- Pick up waste bags - including dog waste, food waste and hygiene waste.
The hubs are designed to meet demand from residents and are part of the Council’s wider review of customer service delivery as it seeks to improve its self-service and digital offerings for those who can access services in this way.
As part of the response to Covid-19 pandemic, the customer service facilities previously available at the Civic Centre were suspended in early 2020. In launching the hubs, we can now offer more choice and easier access to services for residents in the heart of their communities.
It is also planned to develop the range of services available in the hubs as Covid-19 restrictions ease over the course of the year. In the meantime, so that residents can access services safely current social distancing and hygiene rules will apply to those visiting the hubs.
Councillor Nigel Daniels, Leader of Blaenau Gwent Council commented:
‘ I am pleased that we can now safely launch the new community hubs as part of our Covid recovery plans. Like most organisations we have had to restrict public access to buildings since 2020.
I know that residents value face to face contact to access the services that are important to them and now its great that the time is right to bring back this choice for them and bring access to services closer to the public.
It is also important that we have the widest possible range of channels available for residents both traditional and digital and we will continue to develop our services delivered through these channels as part of our customer services strategy. As Covid restrictions ease we will also widen the range of services available and increase opening hours in the hubs.’
Phill Sykes, Operations Director for Aneurin Leisure Trust commented:
"Improving community life is at the heart of everything that Aneurin Leisure Trust does and the new community hubs will assist the Council in providing essential advice and guidance to the local community, at a convenient location to residents. Our staff has a wealth of experience in assisting with enquiries and will be an additional resource for many services that the community hubs offer."