Somerset County Hall: Disused office space to be rented out

Unused parts of Somerset County Council's headquarters are to be rented out to raise money for the authority.

It has recently spent £10m refurbishing part of County Hall, in Taunton, with officers due to move back in soon.

It said officials are negotiating with "a partner" to move in once the refurbishment is completed.

Last year the council said it would save some £700,000 a year by bringing staff under one roof.

Officers have said the tenant, which cannot be named due to "commercial confidentiality" could move in by the end of 2020 if negotiations are completed.

Bringing the council's call centre back over to County Hall from Wellington House is expected to save more than £100,000 a year on its own.

Once council staff have relocated to the refurbished section, a separate section will be "surplus to needs" and could be sold off for "sale or redevelopment".

Sian Powell, the council's change manager, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the move would "enable better use to be made of the campus, boost town centre trade and cut the council's running costs".

"Both sides have agreed terms and subject to contract full agreement will be reached in the coming weeks," she said.

Previously the authority said it planned to sell off eight farms it owned.

In October 2018 Oxenford Farm in Dowlish Wake, Somerset, was auctioned off in five lots and sold for £1.35m in total.