COMMUNITY leaders have welcomed moves aimed at making council services in Stanley easier to access from next month.

The library, council customer access point and registrars’ office will all be moving into one convenient location in the newly-refurbished Louisa Centre.

The services will be all on one level within the “modern and bright building”, making it easier for people to use them.

The move is part of a larger refurbishment project at the Louisa Centre to improve leisure facilities at the venue and reduce running costs.

The existing customer access point and registrar’s office, on Front Street, Stanley, will close on Friday 29 April, while the library on High Street, Stanley, will close on Saturday, April 23.

Services will reopen in the Louisa Centre on Tuesday, May 3.

During the time that the library will be closed residents will be able to use other libraries, with the nearest being in South Moor and Annfield Plain.

Stanley ward councillor Carl Marshal said: “This is welcomed.

“It has been something I have been campaigning for ever since I was first elected as a councillor - to try an get the library back into the heart of the town centre.

“We have a really good library service in Stanley, but it’s not particularly accessible where it is.

“Getting it into the main town centre will help with the wider regeneration of the town centre.

“Moving the library and relocating the customer access point down into town creates a pivot point that will give people more reason to into the town and hopefully use the local shops while they are down there.”

Alan Patrickson, head of project and business services at Durham County Council, said: “We are pleased that our project to provide better access to services to people living in the Stanley area has now been completed and we are looking forward to our staff welcoming customers to enjoy the new facilities.

“The wider refurbishment of the Louisa Centre will also deliver improved leisure facilities in the town.”

It is understood any money made from the sale of the buildings will be used to offset the development and other relocation costs incurred across the county.

Further information is available at www.durham.gov.uk/louisa