From December, local residents will have more choice than ever before. The new arrangements mean that customers will be able to pay their bills at any post office. In addition to this, the network will be extended in April 2007, to include the extensive Pay Zone network. Customers using credit and debit cards can also pay their bills at the town's library network, while cash payments will continue to be accepted in the main town centre office in Lincoln House.

In recent years, the number of cash transactions to the council has dropped dramatically as more and more people prefer to pay bills by other methods. However, some payments are still made in cash and the council wants to improve the quality of its cash collection service for council tax payers.

The new arrangements will provide much wider access to pay points, replacing the current system, which is costly to maintain and does not cover all the borough equally.

The council's similar move from payments at local offices to post offices will make cash collection more cost-effective. It will also give residents a wider choice of places to pay their bills and at more convenient times of the day and week.

The council, along with the Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank and your local post office, will be mounting a publicity campaign in autumn to advise customers on how they can access this service.