Registration Service updates and news

Contacting Shropshire Registration Service

Contact us via the Customer Service Centre on 0845 678 9016 (Monday 8.00am to 8.00pm, Tuesday 8.00am to 6.00pm, Wednesday 8.00am to 6.00pm, Thursday 8.00am to 8.00pm, Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm and Saturday 9.00am to 1.00pm).

Whitchurch office - The Talbot Centre, Shakespeare Way, Whitchurch Business Park

Customers using the Whitchurch office should be advised that gas installation works are being carried out from 13 to 18 August 2008. As a result there will be reduced car parking availability on site. However, we can assure you that we will be operating as normal during this period and will do our best to look after you when you arrive.

Please scroll down for the Registration Service's May 2008 statistics

Celebrate in Shropshire

Whether you are looking to get married, form a civil partnership, hold a civil naming ceremony for your child or even reaffirm your marriage vows, we will work with you to ensure that you get exactly what you want - a day to remember for the rest of your lives.

Go on, trust us to make your dreams come true.

To view our new pamphlet please follow the celebrate-in-shropshire.pdf link on this page.

Shropshire Registration and Celebratory Services closure dates 2008

August bank holiday 2008

Monday 25 August 2008 - closed

Christmas closure 2008

Thursday 25 December 2008 - closed
Friday 26 December 2008 - closed

(Please note: Christmas concessionary day yet to be advised)

Earned Citizenship

Please note that proposed changes to the way people become British citizens will not be introduced until late 2010. Until then existing arrangements for naturalisation will continue.

The following information is reproduced from a Home Office information flyer:

Naturalising as a British citizen in the future

What are the proposed changes?

On 20th February 2008 the Government published the Green Paper 'The path to Citizenship: Next Steps in Reforming the Immigration System'. In this document we outlined our proposals for changing the way that someone can become a British citizen or remain here as a permanent resident. These proposals are collectively called 'Earned Citizenship'. Under these proposals migrants will be expected to pass through three key stages and demonstrate certain requirements. Our aim is to make the journey clearer, simpler and easier for migrants and the public to understand.

The three stages are:

1) Temporary residence.
2) Probationary citizenship.
3) British citizenship/permanent residence.

Further information on the implementation of the proposed changes will be announced following parliamentary approval in 2009. Existing arrangements for naturalisation will continue until these proposals come into effect.

Please follow the Border and Immigration Agency link for the UKBA website and further information.

Service standards

To view our standards please follow the Service standards link on this page.

If you would like to make any comments about these standards, please contact us by using the link provided.

Certificate applications

Feedback from consultation showed that customers wanted greater flexibility in our levels of service. Accordingly, Shropshire Registration Service is delighted to introduce the following levels of service for persons applying for copy certificates (applicable from 3 April 2008):

Gold - priority service (UK only)

£7.00 statutory fee for each certificate (unless a short certificate, or under 1 month) +
£25.00 (per item) expedited service charge and special delivery by 9.00am next day = £32.00

For persons who need a certificate urgently. Same working day collection, or next day delivery if application received by 1.00pm. Certificate packages will be tracked by Royal Mail and will need to be signed for at the point of delivery. Packages will be insured against loss in transit. Please note that the £32.00 fee is the same whether certificates are posted out or collected in person.

Silver - premium service

£7.00 statutory fee for each certificate (unless a short certificate, or under 1 month) +
£5.50 recorded delivery, inclusive of insurance (this fee covers up to 4 certificates in a single transaction) = £12.50

This service offers greater peace of mind. Applications will be processed within 3 working days for live certificates and 5 working days for historical certificates. Certificate packages will be tracked by Royal Mail and will need to be signed for at the point of delivery. Packages will be insured against loss in transit up to the value of £34.00.

Bronze - standard service

£7.00 statutory fee for each certificate (unless a short certificate, or under 1 month)

Applications will be processed within 3 working days for live certificates and 5 working days for historical certificates. Certificates sent by 2nd class post. Please note that no liability will be accepted by Shropshire Registration Service for non-delivered items.

Ordering

Ordering certificates is easy – just call 0845 678 9016 to speak to our Customer Service Centre advisors (make sure you have your credit/debit card details handy).

If you prefer to order on-line you may do so by following the Copy certificates application and payment online link.

If you would like to apply by post the address is:

Shropshire Registration and Celebratory Services
Certificate Applications
PO Box 4661
SHREWSBURY
Shropshire
SY1 9AL

Regards,

Karen Burton
Business Service Manager, Shropshire Registration Service

How much does the Registration Service in Shropshire cost me?

Did you know that the Registration Service has a budget of £218,050 per year?

It costs us £680,000 per year to provide for the following:

• Offices in all major Shropshire towns
• Registration of births and deaths
• Notices of marriage and civil partnership
• Maintaining 10,000 historical registers of births, marriages and deaths
• Providing nationality checking services and citizenship ceremonies
• Providing wedding, civil partnership, naming and reaffirmation of vows ceremonies

We expect to generate £448,000 in income this year to help offset the costs. This means that the service costs about 75p per head of population, per year.

Do you think this represents value for money?

E-mail your comments to karen.burton@shropshire.gov.uk.

Regards,

Karen Burton
Business Service Manager, Shropshire Registration Service

Charter Mark awarded
Shropshire County Council's registration service has been awarded the Government's Charter Mark in recognition of the high quality customer service provided by its staff. In their report, assessors praised the 'excellent staff, who are totally professional and committed to providing a very high quality service to customers.'

Customer survey
Follow the Registration Service survey link for the results of all surveys.

Feedback works!
See the attached Feedback works!, User survey analysis and Negative comment analysis documents to see what changes we've made in light of some of the comments we received from our service users.

Tell us what you think of our web pages
If you would like to comment on any of the Registration Services web pages, please follow the contact link on this page to e-mail us your thoughts, or use the General customer feedback form which can also be accessed via the link on this page.

Registration Service statistics for May 2008

Births
Number of birth registrations: 380
Number of outward declarations: 16
Number of inward declarations: 120
Number of re-registrations: 20
Number of births registered over 42 days: 2
Number of still birth registrations: 4

Deaths
Number of outward declarations: 3
Number of inward declarations: 1
Number of deaths registered over 5 days: 16
Number of inquests registered: 17
Number of inquests registered on day of receipt: 11

Marriages
Number of marriage registrations: 136
Number of register office marriage registrations: 16
Number of approved premises attended: 94
Number of decommissioned rooms attended: 25
Number of buildings/churches/chapels registered: 1

Certificates and notices
Number of historical certificates produced: 694
Number of birth, stillbirth and death certificates issued by registrars from current registers: 1370
Number of marriage certificates issued by registrars from current registers: 153
Number of standard notices taken: 119
Number of designated notices taken: 6
Number of standard civil partnership notices: 2

Complaints and compliments
Number of formal complaints received in May 2008: 0
Number of formal complaints received for the year 2008/09: 0
Number of formal compliments received in May 2008: 4
Number of formal compliments received for the year 2008/09: 7