New community hub in Chatteris is ‘the way of the future’ say council leaders at launch

Cllrs Alan Melton and Martin Curtis with colleagues, guests and crowds at the launch. (Image: Archant)

It was also described as “a ground-breaking scheme that will be seen as a model for local government in the years ahead”.

Cambridgeshire County Council leader Martin Curtis and Fenland District Council leader Alan Melton were speaking at the official launch of the new joint hub in Chatteris, which is sited in the town’s library.

It brings together the existing county council services and those previously available at Fenland Council’s one-stop shop.

Cllr Curtis said at the launch: “This is the way of the future.

“People don’t generally care which council provides which service as long as it is good enough, so there’s no reason for us to draw the lines we’ve drawn in the past.”

Cllr Melton said: “I’m hugely proud that this ground-breaking scheme – the first of its kind in the county – is being launched in my home town.

“We all know that money is very tight in local government these days and this will enable both our councils to make savings.

“It also highlights the fact that increasingly our two councils are looking at how we can work more closely together to deliver different services. It will be seen as a model for local government in the years ahead.”

About 70 people attended the launch event, including Mark Lloyd and Paul Medd, chief executives of Cambridgeshire County Council and Fenland District Council.

Various local organisations were also represented, including Job Search Chatteris, Chatteris Community Car Scheme and Chatteris U3A.

The hub will contain a new self-service payment kiosk, enabling residents to pay for Fenland services such as council tax. Roddons Housing Association tenants will also be able to pay their rent.

The Citizens Advice Bureau has a kiosk installed in the hub and will be running advice sessions there from September.