Falkirk Council should work to make more efficient use of its rented buildings, according to a report.

A report to the Council’s Policy and Resources Committee yesterday is to lead to a wide scale analysis of Falkirk Council’s use of assets.

It was highlighted that Falkirk Council currently spends £720k each year leasing office accommodation and that it could make more efficient use of its space for workers.

The report also said that the condition of the Municipal Buildings headquarters complex was no longer sufficiently fit for purpose

Now officers have been told to examine options for the headquarters building as well as rationalising existing accommodation to reduce rental costs.

-- Advertisement --

Councillor Craig Martin, Convener of Policy and Resources said: "The fact that we lease many of our current buildings means we are not getting the best value from our current building assets and the time has come to face this fact.

"The current HQ building is now at the end of its useful life as office accommodation. Built in the mid 1960s, the structures have served the area well but have reached a point where maintenance is both costly and inefficient. We have to look at the alternatives.

"The costs involved in a full scale replacement are massive and we will look at every possible option to minimise impact on our budgets including working with other public/private sector bodies, rationalising current assets, maximise working in existing buildings and carry out minimal repairs to ensure the health and safety of the public and our workforce.

"We would expect to have initial plans drawn up in the next six months and bring back a range of options to examine more closely.

"One thing for certain is that we simply cannot ignore the current situation. The condition of our main civic building and the dependency on leasing cannot carry on for any longer."

(IT)