Tories want to cut cost of £18m council HQ

CONSERVATIVES are calling on South Oxfordshire District Council to rethink its plan to return to the site of its old headquarters in Crowmarsh Gifford.

They argue that spending about £18million on the new building is unnecessary and want a smaller, cheaper version.

The original building was destroyed by an arson attack in 2015 and the council currently shares a temporary office with Vale of White Horse District Council at Milton Park, near Didcot.

The new building, which would be completed by the spring of 2022, could accommodate 435 staff and would be environmentally friendly with solar panels on the roof of the council chamber.

But the Conservatives, who lost control of the council to a Lib-Dem/Green coalition a year ago, say the plans are out of date because most council officers have been working successfully from home during the coronavirus lockdown and flexible arrangements should continue in order to reduce traffic on the roads.

Data released by the council shows that air pollution has fallen by 60 per cent in parts of the district during the lockdown period.

Caroline Newton, Conservative spokeswoman for environment and housing, said: “We were horrified to learn in February that South Oxfordshire District Council was planning to spend almost £18 million on the new council building. We argued then that the plans were too extravagant and an abuse of tax payers’ money.

“We believe one of the lasting impacts of the covid lockdown will be organisations finding new ways to work and do business.

“The last couple of months have shown that the work of the council can continue to be delivered with the majority of staff working remotely from home.

“The council needs to do whatever it can to help reduce air pollution as we head toward a ‘new normal’.

“It’s time the Lib-Dems and Greens recognised the opportunity this offers. While home working won’t suit everyone, this is the moment to pause, reset, and create a smaller, sustainable, less expensive building that is in line with the expectations of our residents.”

In a statment, the council said the cost of the project was “commercially sensitive”.

It added: “We continue to review all our projects and have been in discussions with partners working on our new headquarters to see how we could take into account the positive changes to working practices into plans for the new offices.

 “The cabinet had agreed the initial design concepts to allow the contractors to work them up into detailed designs but that work has been on hold since the start of the covid-19 pandemic.”