One Stop by Design

Warwickshire County Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council and North Warwickshire Primary Care Trust have joined forces to lay the foundations for better access to council and health care services in North Warwickshire.

Representatives from the two councils plus interior designers, Paragon, put on their hard hats and got ‘carried away’ with a wheelbarrow to mark the start of work on ‘Warwickshire Direct – North Warwickshire’, an innovative ‘one stop shop’ that will revolutionise the way people in the north of the county access information and services.

Scheduled to open at North Warwickshire Borough Council’s headquarters in April, ‘Warwickshire Direct – North Warwickshire’ will give Warwickshire County Council an increased presence in the north of the county, providing residents with direct access to Borough and County Council services in the heart of Atherstone.

It follows the success of ‘Warwickshire Direct – Kenilworth’, a similar centre that has benefited thousands of residents in the south of the county since it opened in October 2005, and ‘Warwickshire Direct – Bedworth’, which opened in November last year.

Councillor Peter Fowler, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Performance and Development, said:

The aim is to bring a range of services, including County and Borough Council services, closer to people in North Warwickshire and I am sure that the ‘Warwickshire Direct’ one stop shop will achieve that.

I’m delighted that the Primary Care Trust is also involved in this project. It will be a fantastic facility for local residents.

The former Borough Council reception area at Atherstone is to be given a radical overhaul by interior designers, Paragon, and will be transformed into an open-plan space with better access for disabled people, improved waiting areas, private interview rooms and computer terminals, so residents can help themselves to council website information.

The special partnership between the County Council, Borough Council and Primary Care Trust means people will not only be able to enquire about their Council tax and Housing Benefit but also apply for a disabled parking Blue Badge, ask about free school meals and even have their blood pressure checked!

Bob Trahern, North Warwickshire Borough Council’s Assistant Director of Revenues and Benefits, said:

Bringing services together under one roof will create real benefits for customers and make services far more accessible for everyone. We are planning to keep the ‘one stop shop’ open longer on at least two evenings and on Saturday mornings.

There’s also a real possibility of sharing a mobile vehicle with the Primary Care Trust, so we can take similar services out into the rural areas.