Squeeze on Preston Office Space Saves Millions

Media-Newswire.com - A MAJOR shake-up of office space used by Lancashire County Council is saving millions on administration costs. A revolution in working practices and a fast and flexible approach to managing property has reduced the amount of accommodation needed, with many offices being vacated. Over £2m has already been achieved from the sale of property and leases in Preston alone. The money has been reinvested to protect and improve frontline services. City centre buildings on Fishergate, Cross Street and Winckley Square as well as offices on Navigation Way are amongst those no longer in use. The ongoing review has seen staff relocate to existing sites including County Hall and East Cliff near Avenham Park. Space is being created thanks to new working practices, with more people working from home or sharing desks if their job is not always office-based. Other measures include the introduction of smaller desks for more efficient use of space. County Councillor Anne Brown, Cabinet member for Resources and Performance, said: “We work hard to get the best value for money from all our resources and this includes looking at how much accommodation we need for staff. “Better technology has led to our staff being able to work in a more flexible way and we are taking advantage of this by cutting back on the number of offices we own and lease.” Employees moved into County Hall during the review include Corporate Human Resources and Youth and Community teams previously in offices on Fishergate and Environment staff are transferring from buildings in Cross Street. Leases on eight premises have already been assigned to new tenants or ended. One property owned outright by the county council – the former Westleigh Emergency Planning headquarters at Lea – has also been sold. Emergency Planning is now based at the Red Rose Hub. County Councillor Brown added: “This year we have been awarded top marks in a government inspection of our use of resources. This has been achieved by making sure we focus all our efforts on improving frontline services and reducing costs elsewhere.” The review of accommodation in Preston is part of a wider review of offices across Lancashire. By 2009/10 the authority expects to have vacated 3,134 square metres of leased office space, achieving savings approaching £400,000 every year.

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