LOSTWITHIEL could soon lead the way for the area in one-stop shop service provision.

A date is expected to come this week for the start of a regular weekly slot for the town to host the mobile one-stop shop bus.

Although Lostwithiel doesn't have its own permanent one-stop shop, this news has been welcomed and will help people regularly access Cornwall Council advice, information and services.

Cornwall councillor Gavin Shakerley told Lostwithiel Town Council the news on Tuesday (March 2).

"I'm delighted to announce that Lostwithiel is going to be in the next stage of the one-stop-shop provision of services and information starting in April to serve the community.

"It's not everything – it's not our own one-stop shop, but it's something and if we prove that there's a need for it, it's going to be ours for the foreseeable future."

He would get accurate details about the service to the town council as soon as possible.

The one-stop shop bus already has a regular slot in St Blazey once a week, offering information about council services from refuse collection to housing and planning advice.

The service is available from the residents' association at Landreath Place in association with Family Information Services and Ocean Housing every Tuesday from 9.30am to noon.

The drop-in sessions can provide assistance and advice on blue badge applications, recycling, planning, social housing register, free school meals, family information, and activities.

There is help available with benefits advice, and voluntary services such as transport to hospital, even filling in forms, for example the Cornwall Homechoice forms.

With the mobile one-stop shop service, no appointments are needed – people can go along and everyone is welcome. Specialist benefit advice is provided by the Out and About service and in all the council's one-stop shops, as well as specialist advice on housing benefit and council tax benefit.

The nearest one-stop shop to Lostwithiel is Fowey Library on Passage Lane, Fowey.

It's one of 22 across the county as a single port of call for council services and this figure could increase to 23 if Par library also gets on board.

For further information about council one-stop shop services please call 0300 1234100.