Newly released pictures have revealed the unacceptable and uncivilised conditions at Scarborough Town Hall, prompting North Yorkshire Council to push forward with purchasing a new office space.
Newly released pictures have revealed the unacceptable condition of North Yorkshire Council’s Scarborough Town Hall site as the authority prepares to purchase a new office building.
Deeply unpleasant odours and uncivilised conditions have forced council staff in Scarborough to work from home or relocate to alternative spaces that were not designed to be used as offices.
The revelations come as North Yorkshire Council approved an asset rationalisation plan, which includes the purchase of Resolution House by the A64 for an undisclosed sum and the relocation of staff from Scarborough Town Hall and Ryedale House.
The authority has confirmed that new customer access points will be created in town centre sites in Scarborough and Malton to ensure the public can still access services.
At a special scrutiny meeting on Thursday, March 26, councillors were informed about the concerning state of the buildings at the Town Hall site. The Scarborough location is made up of four distinct structures: the listed Town Hall building, a 1950s and 1960s extension, York House which was formerly the old Brewery, and the Customer Services building.
Deputy leader of the council, Councillor Gareth Dadd, said:
"In a civilised society, we cannot let our staff work in these conditions, and the time for action has come."
A presentation gave councillors a glimpse of the deteriorating coastal building. However, the corporate director for resources, Gary Fielding, explained that the pictures did not tell the whole story about the working environment.
Gary Fielding said:
"The photographs don’t capture the full odours, and some of those areas are deeply unpleasant to walk around due to the smell and damp from over the years."
A group of coastal and independent councillors called for a full independent cost assessment and for a full meeting of the authority to decide on the scheme, which was initially announced by the council earlier this month.
Despite concerns regarding the economic impact of the relocation plans on Scarborough town centre and questions regarding financial due diligence, the overview and scrutiny committee voted against the motion that called for a delay to the decision.
Addressing the committee members about the proposed new site, Gary Fielding said:
"It’s worth remembering that Resolution House has been refurbished to a very high spec by Anglo American, and we have had assessment support from Align Property. It’s in extremely good condition."
Gary Fielding added that due to the poor condition of the Scarborough town hall site, staff are not inclined to work from the office, making it quite hard to enforce a policy that encourages staff to work on-site.
The relocation scheme has been presented to councillors as a way to avoid up to £19 million in costs to upgrade the appalling working conditions at the ageing coastal town hall site. The plans could also see Malton’s Ryedale House office sold to make way for new housing.
Councillor Gareth Dadd said:
"I believe what we are buying is virtually risk-free and helps regenerate Scarborough. If we miss this opportunity, we’re missing the opportunity of a generation."
According to a report prepared for the executive committee, the scheme would create minimum ongoing savings in property running costs of £400,000 per annum, alongside savings of more than £20 million in backlog maintenance liabilities across both Ryedale House and Scarborough Town Hall.
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