A COMMUNITY centre in Newport will be transformed into a neighbourhood hub after Newport council’s cabinet approved a pilot project.

Cabinet members gave their backing to developing Ringland Community Centre into the first of the city’s neighbourhood hubs at a meeting on Thursday.

The hub, costing around £1.7million to develop, is scheduled to be completed by May 2019, and if it is successful the scheme could be rolled out across Newport.

Four neighbourhood hubs have been identified to serve different areas in the city.

Existing community centres will continue to operate as “spokes” to the hubs under the plans.

For the Ringland hub, the spokes will be in Alway, Somerton, Moorland Park (East Newport community centre) and St Julians (the Beaufort Centre).

Services using the building will inclue Communities First, Flying Start, the library and partners including Aneurin Bevan Health Board.

Ringland was chosen due to it having high levels of deprivation and the largest amount of users of community services.

The idea is to bring together support services such as Families First, Flying Start and Communities for Work, currently managed in more than 70 buildings across the city, into one place.

Newport City Council says the services will still be delivered in communities where they are most needed, through the spokes, but the hub will provide the initial point of contact and co-ordination of services.

The hubs will also offer access to public computers, cafe facilities and room hire.

Cllr Debbie Wilcox (Gaer ward) said the scheme was the result of a lot of hard work.

“This report does not even scratch the surface of the work that has been done on the ground,” she told the meeting.

“I cannot wait for it to come to fruition.”

Cllr Jane Mudd (Malpas) said the hubs would help provide a more effective way of delivering services by creating an open space for people to access services.

Cllr Paul Cockeram (Shaftesbury) said he had seen similar models work successfully in other areas.

He added: “I am so pleased it’s going to be going forward.

“I have seen it operate in other areas and it’s wonderful.”

It is estimated the council would need to borrow just over £1million to implement the four hubs, or £750,000 for one hub only, dependent on the amount of funding available from grants.

However the scheme is estimated to save between £500,000 and £600,000 per year.

Disadvantages of the current model include the sustainability of the buildings and ‘fragmentation’ of services

Speaking after the meeting, councillor David Mayer, cabinet member for community and resources, said the scheme was about “enhancing and improving provision for residents.”

“These vital services will still be delivered in community buildings within local areas,” he said.

“The project is about delivering the right services, in the right place.”