Cambridgeshire County Council looks to cut costs by closing offices in move that could impact nearly 800 staff

Around 800 staff members could be impacted if Cambridgeshire County Council proceeds with its cost-cutting plans to close offices – including Hereward Hall in March.

The council’s assets and procurement committee discussed the proposals which would see five offices either closed or sold in a ‘first tranche’ and could save around £880,000 a year.

As reported in this week’s Citizen Hereward Hall in County Road is among the five - the others are Buttsgrove Centre in Huntingdon, Speke House in St Ives and Stanton House also in Huntingdon. The council is also planning to close Noble House in Ely, which it currently leases.

Further offices have been identified to be closed at a later point, which the authority hopes will lead to an overall saving of around £2.2million a year.

Around 790 members of staff are expected to be impacted by the office closures, as the county council said it will help move them to other locations.

The plan was endorsed by councillors at a meeting of the assets and procurement committee.

A report to the meeting said the offices are currently underutilised, with an average of less than a quarter (25%) occupied across the working week.

The county council said it will relocate the staff members impacted to other offices, including March Community Centre, New Shire Hall in Alconbury, Ely Library, and The Princess of Wales Hospital also in Ely.

The authority is also proposing to spend £1.85million improving the offices it will keep.

Some councillors questioned whether staff being moved into libraries and community centres would negatively impact those services.

Cllr Steve Count asked whether relocating the Hereward Hall staff to the community centre would impact the services currently offered there.

While Cllr Mark Goldsack made a similar comment about Ely Library.

Officers offered reassurance that the existing services would not be impacted by the plans.

Cllr Count said he “welcomed the general thrust of the report”, but raised some concerns about moving staff to work at Awdry House in Wisbech.

He said there was not much car parking and that it had an “incredibly poor bus service”.

Cllr Chris Boden, leader of Fenland District Council, told the committee he also supported the plans but said he would not comment on Hereward Hall, as he is a member of the district council, which has announced it is considering moving from Fenland Hall to Hereward Hall.

Cllr Boden did ask the county council leader, Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, to give further consideration as to whether Whittlesey Library should be used as a temporary office space as currently proposed as there is asbestos in the building.

Councillor Nethsingha, said she was happy to follow up on this.