PLANS to bring public sector services together in a single building are crucial to the regeneration of Northwich.

That’s the message from Charlie Seward, deputy chief executive for place at Cheshire West and Chester Council.

The local authority opened its first new public sector ‘hub’ at Wyvern House, in Winsford, in June – and now it wants to follow that up elsewhere in the borough.

“The Winsford one has been really successful,” Charlie said.

“What we want these things to be are not just where the DWP and others take an office, but it’s about actually creating a much better, joined-up service for customers.

“They might come in with an issue about their benefits, and we find out they have a housing problem or a health problem, it can all be addressed in one go.

“So in terms of providing people with really good, friendly, easy access to all the things they need in one place, it’s incredibly important for a whole range of social reasons.”

Organisations including Jobcentre Plus, The Work Zone and Citizens Advice have made Wyvern House their home in Winsford this summer.

Residents experiencing poverty had their say on what services should be delivered from the site as part of CWAC’s Poverty Truth Commission.

The council also unveiled plans last month to introduce a ‘navigator’ at the site – someone whose job will be to ensure visitors get the support they need from the right people at the hub.

A similar public sector hub is in the pipeline as part of the Weaver Square masterplan for Northwich, while a hub has also been earmarked for Ellesmere Port.

Charlie insists the three hubs will not be the same – but each will become a focal point for their towns, and should help to unlock further investment.

He said: “They provide a hub that brings people into the centre of town. It’s something else that people come into the town centre for, which currently they might do differently.

“And a lot of those public and voluntary sector organisations at the moment are currently sitting in buildings that are not fit for purpose, that are difficult to access, that need investment and are actually occupying sites that can be much better for other things.

“So by bringing those all together in a much more efficient space, it then frees up opportunities to redevelop those other areas, and that then can bring more investment and other benefits to the community.”

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, previously revealed it is considering moving facilities out of the old hospital – and could relocate them to a public sector hub in Northwich town centre.

“They’ve got to make all sorts of decisions on their future,” Charlie added.

“If and when they do we will have a conversation, but it’s for them to decide what their service offer is going to be. We will talk to anybody about getting involved in this.”