Study found Halton had twice the amount of office accommodation it needs
The headquarters building has been a fixture on the Widnes skyline since the 1960s(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Halton Council is drawing up radical plans to leave its landmark HQ in Widnes as part of cost-saving measures.
It would see council staff vacate the Municipal Building on Kingsway and instead be based from another council building in the town.
The move would mark the end of an era, with the building having been a major landmark in the Widnes skyline since its construction in 1967 following the closure of the old town hall.
It was initially home to Widnes Borough Council, then Halton Borough Council.
And while Runcorn Town Hall hosts council meetings, it is the Municipal which contains the bulk of the council’s main administrative and executive workforce.
The plans are being drawn up as part of efforts to slim down Halton Council’s property portfolio. It currently has around 92 buildings with an annual revenue expenditure in the region of nearly £10 million.
The council commissioned a report by JL Property Solutions which found Halton had twice the amount of office accommodation it needs.
The council’s ruling executive board has stated it wants to retain an HQ in Widnes and said it wanted to avoid spreading services across various buildings.
It ordered that proposals be drawn up to vacate the Municipal, having earlier been told that other options for new premises would be too costly – this included £25 million for a new building.
As well as potential savings, disposal of the building could also land it a cash boost, with work already underway to develop the wider area.
Kingsway Quarter on the opposite side of the road will see 100 new homes, including elderly accommodation, built on the site of the old police station, magistrates’ court, Broseley House and Kingsway Leisure Centre.
Efforts to raise cash could also see some organisations leasing space from council buildings, some of which have already been rented out.
A report to council chiefs said: “Rationalisation of space was carried out in Runcorn Town Hall which subsequently enabled the police and crime commissioner’s office to move in, helping generate additional income.
“Likewise, unused space in (Runcorn’s) Rutland House is being re-purposed to create additional meeting room space.”
A council working group has been established to facilitate the move, with council chiefs set to received regular progress reports.
