Wokingham Borough councillors will consider the sale of its Shute End headquarters later this month.
A meeting of its executive committee on Thursday, September 28 will be asked for agreement in principle that the council should review its office accommodation provision, including the opportunities for the relocation from Shute End to a more appropriately sized and energy efficient building or buildings.
A spokesperson for Wokingham Borough Council told Wokingham Today: “We are looking at our staff offices and public reception because improved technology and modern working practices mean our Shute End building may not be needed in the future.
“There may be options to save money and be more energy efficient, while still providing and improving access for people who need to talk to staff in person.”
The spokesperson confirmed more details will be available soon.
In a letter sent to council staff last week seen by Wokingham Today, Susan Parsonage, chief executive officer of Wokingham Borough Council, wrote: “The way we work changed during the Covid-19 pandemic and this more agile way of working has continued, with more colleagues working from home and fewer people coming into the office on a daily basis.
“As a council we want to make the most of this new style of working, offering colleagues more modern workspaces, with greater flexibility and the opportunity to work more collaboratively with our partners and the wider community.
She also highlighted the widely reported financial challenges that the council is facing.
She said: “We are having to make difficult decisions about many of our services to help reduce our costs and prioritise funding to support those most in need.
“To help with this we are looking at the buildings we own and how we can use them more effectively. As part of this review, we have been exploring options around our headquarters location.
“Shute End is our largest asset but is now too big for our needs. Its annual running costs are extortionate. The building requires significant investment to bring it up to the future energy efficiency standards required by law, as well as investment to create the type of space we need.”
Shute End currently has around 800 desk spaces, but only between 25% and 30% are used daily.
“Given this, it’s important we look to have the right size office accommodation for our needs which gives us the flexibility colleagues need to work in an agile way and offers better value for money.
“This is also an opportunity for us to lead by example and show residents we are acting in a responsible manner with our limited resources, and actively seeking to reduce our costs to help protect the services they need.”
Wokingham Today understands one potential location being considered for the new Wokingham Borough Council headquarters is at 28 Peach Street.
This is a property owned by the council and is the former Marks & Spencer store currently occupied by the Forces Support charity shop.
“If agreed by the executive, more detailed feasibility and planning work would happen before the headquarters is relocated,” the letter added.
“The sale of Shute End would also generate a capital receipt. It is also critical that we remain working within the community, and Wokingham town centre is an ideal location.”
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, leader of the Conservative Group at Wokingham Borough Council, welcomed the exploration of any potential sale.
“The Conservative Group does not object to considering alternatives to the current Council offices, in fact we welcome proposals that offer taxpayers better value for money,” she said.
“But yet again we see the Liberal Democrats have jumped ahead and concluded that the old Marks & Spencer site is the only answer.
“All before any proper decision-making process can take place, including assessing the cost of moving and refurbishing new offices, or looking at other sites.
“It is clear to me that any meaningful analysis of this major decision has either not been done or is not being shared to allow full scrutiny.
“The Lib Dems need to remember that Wokingham Borough stretches far beyond Wokingham town centre, and includes other towns, such as Woodley, Earley and Twyford. However, it doesn’t seem like any other places were considered.
“The former Marks & Spencer site could be valuable, owing to its town centre location. It appears the Liberal Democrats have not considered the potential value this could bring to the Council if the site were to be developed into a mix of flats and shops.
“The Council building is not just offices. Any new building will need to be accessible and have adequate parking. It is also important that there is space to hold full council and planning meetings, that are open to the public to attend.
“This sounds expensive to achieve, which would limit future potential savings. However, as is often the case with the Liberal Democrats, how can opposition councillors, or residents, scrutinise their plans if they are not willing to be transparent?”
Cllr Andy Croy, deputy leader of the Labour group on Wokingham Borough Council, issued a cautious welcome to the news.
He said: “Of course, the Council is right to do everything it can to cut costs, but I am concerned that the outcome of the choice of new location has already been determined without proper overview and scrutiny by councillors.
“The Council must look at all alternatives. I am not sure converting a shop to offices is the best value when the borough is littered with purpose-built office space that may be more suitable for back office functions.
He also highlighted the challenge of creating or finding a space for council meetings.
He said: “The meeting space needs to be able to seat 54 councillors, up to eight officers, the press and unknown numbers of residents, some who are participating and some of who are viewing, plus the audio and visual set up that allows for an effective meeting and streaming the proceedings.
“Maybe this could be the answer to the St Crispin’s Leisure Centre problem. Keeping it in Council ownership would mean access to a hall that would be available for a fixed number of nights in the year.”
At the end of July, the Council sought to engage with external organisations to seek market interest for any short-, medium- or long-term use of council-owned assets including property, land or facilities.
It published a tender request for expressions of interest on the Government’s contract-finder website.
That tender has now closed.
