Council plans to close town's park office
As part of cost cutting measures Powys County Council is set to leave its Park office in Newtown.
Next week, Powys councillors will get their chance to probe the Liberal Democrat/Labour cabinet’s draft budget proposals.
On Monday, January 30, the council’s Economy, Residents and Communities scrutiny meeting will look at budget proposals that cover a number of council departments, including economic development, housing and property, and highways transport.
Earlier this month the cabinet set their draft budget which includes increasing council tax by five per cent.
The council needs to make cuts and savings as part of the overall drive to find £16.4million to bridge its funding gap for 2023/2024.
Councillors will learn that a proposal to leave The Park office would save £95,000 over two years.
As part of the proposal, council staff currently based at The Park will be relocated to nearby Ladywell House.
Strategic property professional lead, Nigel Clutton explains that the £95,850 would be saved over two years, £47,925 in 2023/2024 and in 2024/2025.
Mr Clutton explains that the closure would provide savings of £65,850 due to as paying for “business rates, maintenance, servicing, utility costs,” will stop.
But the extra £30,000 said Mr Clutton is: “predicated on leasing the building to a partner organisation.”
If leased to another organisation Mr Clutton believes an income of £30,000 a year could materialise, but he admits in the assessment that this is a “financial risk” in the current economic climate.
Mr Clutton said: “A positive impact is envisaged allowing council services to co-locate together in one building will reduce the carbon footprint.”
“Ladywell House has been recently renovated and provides a long term and sustainable building for delivering council services.
“Additionally, co-locating services to a single building has environmental benefits as it reduces waste and reduces the energy consumption associated with delivering services from multiple buildings.”
The council bought Ladywell House from the Welsh Government in 2017, the refurbishment and conversion to offices is estimated to have cost more than £5 million.
In 2017, the purchase was seen as an an investment opportunity to generate income from the building.
