THE new Redditch Council budget has been approved and includes the eventual scrapping of three of the town's One Stop Shops.

The budget means the One Stop Shops in Batchley, Winyates and Woodrow will be running part time in a mixture of mornings and afternoons until June of 2008, when the intention is for them to close completely.

Headless Cross and Oakenshaw councillor Carole Gandy said: "The decision to do this was taken with no thought as to what will go in its place. We have no idea what will replace the service provided by the Shops in the long term. We have no idea what the cost will be. The whole process is the wrong way round."

Astwood Bank and Feckenham councillor Brandon Clayton added: "To close them is a retrograde step, not only for the people of Redditch, but also because this is going to increase the number of people in cars coming into the town centre to pay their rent."

The current plan is for staff to work with customers to point out alternatives to the Shops, which will most likely result in council tax bills and rent payments being made at Redditch Town Hall or by direct debit.

Councillors expressed concerns that many residents would be uncomfortable with having to use direct debits.

Winyates councillor Nigel Hicks said: "You can only use direct debits if you have a regular income going into your bank account and there are a lot of people that have no access to that route."

Michael Braley, councillor for West Redditch, said: "A lot of elderly people are frightened of the banking system. Until we have a properly worked out alternative way of delivering this we need to think about transition.

"After everything else we need some absolute fall back for people who cannot comply."

Central councillor Greg Chance is backing the budget.

He said: "If the members are determined to keep the One Stop Shops they need to consider what they want to scrap for £30,000 of other items from the budget."

The fear of people being disinclined to use alternatives to the Shops to pay their bills was a concern for Winyates councillor David Enderby.

He said: "Getting rid of 75 per cent of all the collection points for payments in Redditch will probably eradicate any savings gained by axing the One Stop Shops."

Councillors voted for the gradual closure of the Shops in the budget by 12 votes to 11, with three councillors abstaining.