THE Okehampton Work Hub — designed to provide professional workspace for people working from home and the self-employed — is now open for business.

The fourth work hub to receive Devon County Council funding, Okehampton Work Hub at the Okehampton Business Centre will provide professional business space for entrepreneurs, homeworkers, those on the road or business start-ups. It opened for business on Tuesday.

Desk space will be available to rent by the hour, day, week or month. There are meeting rooms, free Wi-Fi and use of computers, storage lockers, printing and copying as well as experienced business advisors available by appointment.

The hub is based with BIP in the centre. BIP's managing director Stewart Horne said: 'This provides the first step for businesses that are looking to grow, from desk space in the work hub, to office space in Okehampton Business Centre, and in the future through the follow-on space being developed as part of the Enterprise Hub designation through the Heart of the South West LEP's Rural Growth Network.'

Three Devon County Council-funded hubs, in Totnes, Tavistock and Cullompton, are already fully operational, and an associate hub in Exeter is now also part of the group.

Devon County Council says the work hub network is an important part in supporting and strengthening the county's economy and is proving popular.

The scheme evolved in early 2011 when talk began of setting up facilities to help people who worked from home, were self-employed or starting up a new business.

It is estimated that around 85,000 people —20% of the working age population — in Devon are home-based.

In late 2011, the county council, with part funding from the Department for Transport, secured £180,000 to support the development of two work hubs.

In July last year, a new round of funding opened which meant the county council had an additional £100k available to support the development of work hubs, in up to five market and coastal towns in Devon. The money for the Okehampton hub came from this round of funding.

To contact Okehampton's work hub, call the BIP team at Okehampton Business Centre, on freephone 0330 1000338, e-mail on [email protected]">[email protected] or visit the website http://www.bipwestdevon.biz">www.bipwestdevon.biz