A ONE-stop shop providing community services to rural areas in north Ryedale will soon be up and running.

The community office project in Kirkbymoorside is only weeks away from opening, with information and services on offer for the town and surrounding villages.

The facility has been built in the centre of the town to provide a local base for a wide range of services.

Ryedale District Councillor Gary Hobbs, who is chairman of the community office trust, said there would be a variety of help on offer from the premises.

He said: "North Yorkshire Police will use some of the space upstairs for an officer, and we have also had strong interest from several organisations.

"It's going to include space for Ryedale District Council who will use it as an area office once a week.

"There will be a tourism function with leaflets and information available, as well as five computers for members of the public to have internet access."

Coun Hobbs said he was confident the ambitious facility would be a boost to the local community.

He said: "Kirkbymoorside is too small to have permanent headquarters for many organisations, but the idea is to bring in services to set up on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

"Groups which have already expressed a strong interest include the employment service, the Citizens' Advice Bureau, Ryedale Voluntary Action, the careers' service, and the counselling service Relate.

"I think it is going to be of great benefit to the people of Kirkbymoorside and the villages that feed into it."

He added: "A lot of money has gone into this, with £112,000 for the full conversion and £150,000 for three years' running costs.

"Everyone who has spoken to me about the project is very enthusiastic.

"We are hoping to open the community office for as many hours."

Coun Sheila Ridley from Kirkbymoorside Town Council, who has been involved with the project from the start, said: "The people I have spoken to have certainly given it the seal of approval.

"We are all expecting it to get well used, especially once people can actually go inside and see what there is on offer.

"I think it will be an absolute asset to the people living in and around Kirkbymoorside."

Updated: 12:23 Wednesday, March 27, 2002