Latest news with #counciloffices
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Selling former Hambleton District Council offices is a 'win'
The sale of former council offices to a care home operator is a "win, win, win" situation, a senior councillor has Yorkshire Council's executive committee has agreed to dispose of the civic centre at Stone Cross in Northallerton, the former headquarters of Hambleton District building would be sold for an undisclosed fee which was described as "significant" by council authority decided the offices were not needed following the abolition of Hambleton District Council and the launch of the unitary North Yorkshire Council in 2023. Customer service facilities have also been transferred from the building to the Treadmills site in the town voted unanimously to progress the sale of the building to an unnamed care home operator at a meeting on Tuesday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).The authority's deputy leader Gareth Dadd said the sale was the "first major capital" disposal by the unitary authority."It is providing not just a strong capital receipt but, once we take into account the new costs from the new location of the customer service centre, we're looking at net £150,000 to £200,000 I would suggest, in revenue savings through us moving out of that particular building," he said."It's also provided a better customer service experience, as well as underpinning the new Treadmills site with increased footfall."Dadd said all-in-all it was a "win, win, win" and said the council "should not be hesitant in approving the disposal of that particular asset". Mark Crane, executive member for open to business, also spoke in favour of the sale."As a unitary authority, it's clearly wrong that we've got two large offices in the same town," he said."This is a good news story whichever way you look at it."The back-office services which previously operated from Stone Cross have been mainly relocated to County Hall in Northallerton, officials building was put up for sale earlier this year with the negotiations led by the council's property consultancy, Align Property sale will not affect the adjacent leisure centre or the former caretaker's property which are located next to the disused building. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
HQ plans for South Oxfordshire and Vale councils to be scrapped
Plans to regenerate an area opposite Didcot's station and build new council offices are expected to be Oxfordshire District Council officers said the Didcot Gateway scheme is "no longer justified" because of government plans for council devolution and authority will have spent £2.2m on the regeneration project by the time it is saved by stopping the scheme will be used to purchase social housing. The proposals for new council offices were given planning permission earlier this four-storey complex opposite Didcot Parkway railway station was due to be used by both South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Council staff, with further office space rented to a third councillor, Conservative Ian Snowdon, said that the project should have been scrapped by South Oxfordshire District Council said: "Instead of accepting that they'd gone the wrong route, and doing a U-turn, they've doubled-down on it."The devolution thing has come out and they're using it as an excuse to finally draw a line under this awful scheme."The two authorities were based in Crowmarsh Gifford until 2015, when their building was gutted during an arson officers have said in a report that it would be "inappropriate" to continue on the plans for Didcot Gateway, because of the government's plans for devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR).The report added: "Whilst the final outcome of LGR for South will not be known until early in 2026, what is clear is that delivery of the proposed new office accommodation for South and Vale district councils' staff on the Didcot Gateway site is no longer justified. "This is because, based on the government's published timeline, the councils will cease operating in their current form no later than April 2028."The £10m that was set to be invested in Didcot Gateway will instead be used to purchase 30 homes for social Oxfordshire District Council's cabinet will decide on the future of the Didcot Gateway project on Thursday, before a final decision by the full council. In a statement South Oxfordshire District Council said "The regeneration of the Didcot Gateway site remains a priority for the council. "Continuing to secure planning permission was a common sense approach so that any future unitary council would have maximum flexibility for what to do at the site." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
