Issue - meetings

Accommodation Review

Meeting: 21/06/2017 - Cabinet (Item 15)

15 Accommodation Review pdf icon PDF 110 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources outlining options to meet the future accommodation needs of the City Council and to recommend negotiations with Gloucestershire County Council to relocate the organisation to Shire Hall to facilitate the potential disposal for the HKP Warehouses.

 

 

Decision:

RESOLVED:

 

(1)       That the relocation of the City Council from its existing office accommodation in the Herbert, Kimberly and Philpott Warehouses, Gloucester Docks be supported;

(2)       That the Corporate Director be authorised to commence formal discussions with the County Council to agree terms for the City Council to occupy available accommodation in Shire Hall;

(3)       Potential partial location into City Council owned premises at Westgate Street also be supported;

(4)       The top floor of North Warehouse be retained for Civic and Meetings purposes;

(5)       It be noted that further reports on the potential disposal of the vacated HKP Warehouses will follow in due course.

 

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources outlining options to meet the future accommodation needs of the City Council and to recommend negotiations with Gloucestershire County Council to relocate the organisation to Shire Hall to facilitate the potential disposal for the HKP Warehouses.

 

The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources advised that the City Council needed to make savings and improve efficiency and would be investigating to relocate from their existing accommodation. The City Council would start discussions with the County Council to move into Shire Hall in 2018.  This would allow staff to be able to work remotely from home, do more hot-desking and the opportunity for the City and County Council to work more closely across services.

 

Cabinet Members commented on the importance of the Civic function and history.  It was noted that the City Council would retain the Civic Suite in North Warehouse to maintain the Civic tradition.

 

Other opportunities which had been explored was to provide a new purpose built accommodation in Kings Quarter and have a facility to include a new Civic Suite.

 

The Leader of the Council commented that it would be a sensible approach to start negotiations with the County Council and the need to keep a new building at Kings Quarter as an option.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(1)                     The relocation of the City Council from its existing office accommodation in the Herbert, Kimberly and Philpott Warehouses, Gloucester Docks be supported;

(2)         The Corporate Director be authorised to commence formal discussions with the County Council to agree terms for the City Council to occupy available accommodation in Shire Hall;

(3)         Potential partial location into City Council owned premises at Westgate Street also be supported;

(4)         The top floor of North Warehouse be retained for Civic and Meetings purposes;

(5)         It be noted that further reports on the potential disposal of the vacated HKP Warehouses would follow in due course.