AFTER years of speculation and debate, Amesbury's Redworth House is closing next month to allow for the redevelopment of the Co-op supermarket.

The building, which is shared by the Citizens' Advice Bureau and both Wiltshire county and Salisbury district councils, has faced an uncertain future since plans to expand the food store were announced.

Now all services will vacate Redworth House in the coming weeks and move into temporary accommodation until permanent facilities can be found. These are due to include the town's long-awaited one-stop shop for council services and inquiries, although the northern area committee heard on Thursday that no further progress had been made with the project.

Next month, the Citizens' Advice Bureau will relocate to Amesbury clinic and the tourist information centre, run by Salisbury district council, will move to a temporary office outside Amesbury library - subject to planning permission.

Wiltshire county council, which currently has social services units for both children and adults based at Redworth House, is dividing staff between two sites, depending on the area of the county they cover.

From March 22, social workers, support staff and members of children's, education and library services for Amesbury will move to Mills Way on Boscombe Down business park.

And more than 20 employees who work in Mere and Tisbury will be based at Station Works, in Tisbury, from March 30.

"It actually works out very well for us because, at the moment, we have teams in Redworth House who cover Mere and Tisbury and have nothing to do with Amesbury at all," said Ray Jones, director for adult and community services at Wiltshire county council.

"This gives us an opportunity to base these staff in Tisbury, so that they are on patch, while our Amesbury staff will be relocated in the town.

"We have had to come up with temporary solutions until permanent bases can be found because the Co-op is keen to press on with the acquisition of Redworth House for their redevelopment."

Adult team manager Heather Ludlow added that, although the arrangements would be temporary, staff could be in the new offices for up to two years until permanent premises were built.

Meanwhile, the council's hopes for a so-called one-stop shop to be established in Amesbury, bringing access to all the council's services together under one roof, appear as remote as ever.

"Both the county council and Salisbury district council remain committed to working towards running a co-ordinated public office in Amesbury," council solicitor Susan Toby told Thursday's northern area committee meeting.

"But it is not possible to say where and when such offices will be built."

Redworth House is due to be demolished once its sale is complete.