A PIONEERING scheme to bring together community groups under one roof is to be tested in an east Cleveland village.

The scheme, which goes under the working title of the One Stop Shop, hopes to open in Brotton before Christmas in a former hairdressers shop in Laburnum Road.

The shop will provide a base for Brotton's community wardens, the police, who do not have a station in the village, and housing and neighbourhood services from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, which will hold regular advice surgeries at the shop.

Brotton councillors Rich-ard Rudland and Brian Hogg say they will hold extra ward surgeries in the shop as well as advertising Skelton and Brotton Parish Council news and events taking place in the village. Councillor Rudland said: "We are going to meet in there once a week so members of the public can come in and if they have a problem we can refer them to the right person almost immediately.

"It ensures that all the agencies in Brotton know exactly what is happening in the village and it saves us wasting people's time."

The shop will pay a peppercorn rent to the local authority and the running costs will be shared between all the agencies using the centre.

It is also hoped that a community conference room can be set up at the shop for other community groups to use and pay a nominal sum, which will also go towards running costs.

Coun Rudland said if the scheme worked, it would be extended within the borough