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A rising workload and an office which is not accessible to staff or clients in wheelchairs are still the main problems facing Haverhill’s Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

CAB chairman Ron Hartley told the annual general meeting that enquiries relating to employment had over the past five years risen almost fivefold, from 1,274 to 5,700.

It was felt that an expert adviser was needed in this field to help existing staff and Mr Hartley hoped funding would be provided for it.

He also highlighted an equal opportunities report by bureau deputy manager as a strong indication of the need for a resource centre in Haverhill where the CAB could be based.

“We need to enable both disabled members of the public and our own advisors to get into the building. Eric Bowman has been an invaluable volunteer adviser, yet he is unable to get into the bureau,” Mr Hartley said.

CAB manager Brigitte Haig said they had dealt with close to 30,000 problems over the past year, a 10.5 per cent increase on the previous year. However, people had been prepared to wait for up to two hours for advice on occasions and more outreach sessions had been held elsewhere in the town.

Debt problems in particular had grown with another 150 new long-term cases arising, in addition to those already being dealt with, with debts totalling £1,784,414.

There had also been a rise in people presenting themselves as homeless at the bureau, between eight and 12 each month, which is higher than in Bury St Edmunds.

Deborah Cadman, the newly-elected chief executive at St Edmundsbury Borough Council, was guest speaker and she hoped to make sure residents of Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill and the rural areas got a good deal from the council.

She felt the new cabinet structure would make the council more open, transparent and inclusive.

She said: “Development of the borough is really exciting at the moment. For Haverhill we have to make sure they are the right opportunities and we respond to them in the right way for the people of Haverhill. There are some real challenges there.”

CAPTION: Guest speaker… chief executive of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Deborah Cadman, centre with St Edmundsbury Borough Council Mayor Robert Clifton-Brown and Haverhill CAB manager Brigitte Haig.