Rochdale Council under fire for using 0845 numbers

Rochdale Council has come under fire for using premium rate 0845 numbers for some of their services.

Services which are currently using an 0845 number are environmental management, environmental health, street lighting, highways and engineering, library services, regeneration, planning and regulation, job vacancies, council tax and housing benefit and strategic housing, and it is understood that these numbers are charging up to 41p per minute.

Local residents are now asking the council to change their numbers and use a local number or a cheaper dialling code to save them money when contacting them.

A spokesperson for Rochdale Borough Council said: “We have already made a decision to remove any 0845 numbers and new standard rate numbers will be introduced shortly.

“We encourage people, where they can, to use our online services at www.rochdale.gov.uk. Anyone without internet access can get help and go online free at all of the boroughs’ libraries. Freephones are available in Number One Riverside and Middleton, Heywood, Littleborough, Milnrow and Balderstone libraries to connect customers to our telephone contact centre, free of charge.”

Some numbers within the council are set a cheaper rate with the switchboard and family information services using either the free 0800 service or an 01706 contact number.

Services within Rochdale have come under fire before for using high rate numbers. In the summer, a number of doctor’s surgeries in Rochdale were still using premium rate 0844 numbers despite a change in rulings.

Yorkshire Street Surgery in Rochdale Town Centre is a surgery which still uses an 0844 contact number. To combat the premium rate number, the surgery has introduced an additional 01706 number for patients who don’t want to use the 0844 number.