Bin this costly office move

Published: 14 April, 2011

• WHAT a disgrace (Revolt threatens £100m offices move, April 7).  

While Camden residents struggle with cuts, officers continue planning for their plush office suites in an unnecessary, overpriced, new-build office block backed by a very dubious business case. 

Members, at the behest of officers, are currently going ahead with backing this grandiose scheme. Many of the benefits listed to back the case for the new building could be achieved by a much less costly refurbishment of the current Town Hall Extension. Cost of decanting staff during refurbishment of the current building is estimated at £1.7million and much of this could be mitigated against by using the sites currently ear-marked for disposal and said to be surplus to requirements or “empty”.  

Disposing of scattered sites to be replaced by a single building on the periphery of the borough might be in the interests of many officers but not those who pay for services.  

Housing staff need to be able to attend to the needs of their patch and concentration will result in increased costs.  

What is even more galling is that despite disposal of various buildings to provide capital receipts to fund the proposal there is still a shortfall of £39million. 

Borrowing this at such a time is immoral. Given finite council tax receipts it is not possible to repay such a loan without reducing service provision still further. 

All this while we are told it is not possible to borrow to provide a limited number of homes for those in dire need. 

Any capital receipts from the sale of public buildings should be invested for public good.  

Upgrading crumbling school buildings or affordable housing would improve the lives of constituents.

There needs to be a stop put on the proposed King’s Cross building and a thorough and meaningful consultation exercise held to ensure residents are able to exercise their democratic choice as to whether there is a need for a flagship building.  

If this crazy scheme continues, come the next local elections it will be a tattered flag flying from the new corporate buildings and a battered administration seeking alternative roles. 

Let’s hope that common sense prevails and lofty, unaffordable, plans are consigned to the dustbin.  

Now is definitely not the time to be taking on additional debt.

They cannot blame the government for this one.

FRAN HERON
Chair Camden Town District Management Committee