23.06.17
Gloucester City considers co-locating with county council
A local authority is looking to relocate out of its local offices and move towards flexible working practices in a bid to save money.
Gloucester City Council has today announced that it has started talks with the county council about relocating their staff to the county headquarters, Shire Hall.
The city council currently occupy parts of the Herbert, Kimberly and Philpotts warehouses in Gloucester docks, and a small amount of space in the adjacent North Warehouse.
But as part of the Together Gloucester Transformation, the authority will investigate downsizing and adopting flexible working practices, as well as the move to Shire Hall.
Though the move to downsize its offices would save some money in running costs, the council stated that it thinks moving elsewhere could be better value for money.
And the benefit of greater collaborative working is another positive of the move into the county council headquarters.
If agreed on by the councils, the move could be made official by 2018. Other alternative proposals include the creation of new offices as part of the regeneration within King’s Quarter.
“A move to Shire Hall would offer a number of advantages for the city council,” said Cllr David Norman, cabinet member for performance and resources at the Gloucester City Council.
“The vacant possession of the warehouses will provide a new commercial opportunity in the docks, with the potential to generate income for the council.”
Cllr Norman added that the move could reduce the need to invest in new infrastructure and increase the opportunity for the city and county council to work more collaboratively across complementary services.
“Gloucestershire County Council is receptive to this proposal but negotiations are in the early stages and further discussions are needed,” he added.
The plans also come as Shire Hall is undergoing refurbishment to provide an eco-friendlier, and more efficient office space for staff. The refurbishment is part of the wider regeneration of Blackfriars and Quayside. The refurbishment is due to finish next year.
Top Image: Elliott Brown
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