Municipal Offices

couple-sitting-in-car-and-looking-at-map

Cheltenham Borough Council to Put Municipal Offices on Market

The landmark Municipal Council Offices are to go on the market after civic chiefs voted to put them on the open market late last month.

The offices have housed Cheltenham Borough Council for more than 100 years

The Municipal Offices, which are Grade II* listed, have been the home of CBC for more than a century but council leaders now see them as surplus to requirements, mainly due to the increase in home working and a smaller number of staff.

A “magical opportunity”

Lib Dem council leader Rowena Hay believes CBC has a “magical opportunity” to put the building back into circulation and to see it used to its full potential.

Last month Cllr Hay told a council meeting that CBC only occupies the buildings at a capacity of 25% at the most. The council is, however, custodians of the building and so should give the old offices back to the town.

Time for an update?

The council, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, says that the carbon footprint of the office building is large and it’s also not accessible to people with mobility issues.

Conservative group leader Tim Harman said that all CBC’s councillors recognise that it’s time to change the way the building operates but that some have concerns about its future.

Cllr Harman said that some councillors are concerned that CBC would sell the building and its new use or purpose might not be the right thing for it, or the town. He added that some council members have more questions after the vote, which saw 27 against seven in favour of selling the offices on the open market.

The next steps

CBC will now commission a development brief, which will adopt a “creative and conservation-led” approach to the adaptation, reuse and extension of the Municipal Offices building.

When the brief is completed, CBC will invite bids for the development of the building and the finance and assets cabinet minister will present proposals to councillors so they can make the final decision on its future.