The new £19 million headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Council near Hucknall should be scrapped and the existing County Hall at West Bridgford retained, according to the Labour Party.
Nottinghamshire’s new Labour Group Leader, Councillor Penny Gowland, will tomorrow (Thur 22 May) be pressing to keep County Hall, when the council meets for the first time since local elections swept Reform UK into power, ending eight years of Conservative control.
Councillor Gowland says the new Oak House is a costly and unsuitable replacement as the civic centre of Nottinghamshire.
“County Hall is a very equipped, iconic building, in an international recognised location,” she said.
“Any administration worth is salt should be able to exploit it for the benefit of the residents of Nottinghamshire, not flog it off to the lowest bidder.”
At tomorrow’s council meeting, Councillor Gowland will propose a motion to maintain County Hall as the Council’s headquarters and civic base, and determine the options of how best to achieve the upgrades needed to the building. It would be funded through “investing to save or through commercial avenues”.
Labour’s also proposing to “explore options of disposing of Oak House or leasing some of the space, the proceeds of which can be used to fund other areas of council business”.
Added Councillor Gowland:” County Hall has been the home of Nottinghamshire County Council for over 70 years. It is recognisable to residents across the County and is easily visited by hundreds of members of the public each month, thanks to its location and excellent transport links. It is also the primary location for many of our hardworking and valued council employees. In comparison, Oak House is a costly and unsuitable replacement as the civic centre of Nottinghamshire, located remotely and without sufficient transport links. “
