Westmorland and Furness Cabinet has agreed another step forward in its ambitions for delivering value for money services in modern, fit-for-purpose office buildings.
Reflecting the council’s plans for new ways of working and creating three service ‘hubs’ in each of its main locations - Kendal, Penrith and Barrow - Cabinet took the decision at its meeting in Alston (4 June) to agree the recommendation to invest in South Lakeland House / Kendal Town Hall as its main Kendal base and close County Hall in Kendal for its ‘current purpose’, subject to a further review for any alternative future use.
This decision will see continued modernisation and investment into its central Kendal anchor building, South Lakeland House / Kendal Town Hall, to provide improved staff and customer facilities in the town.
Transferring staff and services from County Hall to a more developed base at South Lakeland House / Kendal Town Hall supports Westmorland and Furness’s core value of being a responsible authority, delivering value for money and making the most efficient use of resources.
Today’s decision comes hot on the heels of progress at Voreda House, its new anchor building in Penrith, which will open its doors in the near future.
Westmorland and Furness inherited a significant property portfolio when it took over from four predecessor councils last year and there has been a real focus on establishing the best value-for-money portfolio of assets from which to provide services and reduce costs.
Rationalisation of the council’s assets is a real and tangible benefit of the creation of a unitary authority.
Today’s decision also comes on the back of a review which identified that County Hall would need significant investment in the region of £7.4m to make it suitable for ‘current use’ – and this is why Cabinet has asked for a further report to look at potential alternative uses of the building for future generations.
Considerable additional works would also be required to fully comply with access legislation and the council’s own Carbon Management Strategy. The future of County Hall will be subject to a separate decision at a later date.
Pam Duke, the council’s Director of Resources (sct 151 officer), said the decision would lead to more services for customers located in one central Kendal location.
She said: “The authority is in the fortunate position of having a nearby asset at South Lakeland House / Kendal Town Hall that has benefitted from circa £5m of investment to provide a modern and flexible building that puts service delivery and customer experience at the centre of its design.
“Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to delivering on the benefits of being a unitary council. Good asset management is about understanding our customers, identifying what they need and then using our assets effectively to deliver the right level of service whilst delivering best value for money.”
Most services currently based at County Hall will move to South Lakeland House with an interim solution being in place for the Archives service to support customers while a longer-term review is carried out. In the meantime, the archives themselves will remain stored securely in County Hall.
Plans have already been put in place to ensure there will be no disruption to any couple’s wedding day plans. The Town Hall is already a successful licensed weddings venue and available for bookings. Access to the public car park will continue.