A controversial new regional Business Link service which has replaced five smaller organisations is now ready for business.

Business Link North-west is the new single-access business support service for the region, designed to increase the number of businesses and individuals accessing business support across the North-west.

The plans faced opposition from businesses and Bolton MPs when they were first announced last summer.

The decision meant Chamberlink, the business services arm of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, would lose control of the Business Link contract and funding worth £6.4 million a year. It also led to job cuts within the Chamberlink network.

Bolton MPs Dr Brian Iddon and David Crausby both wrote to then Trade and Industry Minster Margaret Hodge, asking her to step in and reverse the decision.

Both said at the time that the existing system worked well, and that the new plans would disadvantage many businesses, particularly those in key sectors such as retail, construction, hospitality and tourism, sport, environmental technology and customer contact centres.

Business leaders also criticised the centralisation of services, claiming that businesses would lose vital personal contact which would be replaced by a website.

But Peter Watson, managing director of Business Link North-west said: "Transforming Business Link allows us to provide a more efficient service on the ground which focuses on the needs of businesses and supports economic growth.

"The new service will be a step-change from the one we are all familiar with. Perhaps most importantly, the new service will have more customer-facing brokers available to give expert information and support."