MOVE FROM CITY HALL ON THE AGENDA - relocation an option, says chief executive Mike More

Published: 15 April 2011
EXCLUSIVE by JOSH LOEB

WESTMINSTER Council is considering quitting City Hall to share a building with government ministers Eric Pickles and Grant Shapps.

The move would see the council abandon its 19-storey premises at 64 Victoria Street and relocate to nearby Eland House in Bressenden Place, where the Department for Communities and Local Government is based.

Council chief executive Mike More said a review of office space was under way but stressed no decisions have been made. But in an email sent to Labour group leader Paul Dimoldenberg he confirmed a move was one of the options on the table.

Another email to Cllr Dimoldenberg from council strategic director Alastair Gilchrist said: “If we move to Eland, council committee meetings will be held in the meeting rooms they have on the ground floor. These are better than the ones in City Hall and much more accessible for members of the public.”

The revelation comes at a time of massive change in Victoria. 

Land Securities, which owns swathes of property in the area, is embarking on an estimated £2billion makeover of the area opposite the station – a plan known as Victoria Transport Interchange 2.

Earlier this month buildings in a traffic island opposite the station were boarded up pending demolition and building works set to last until 2016. 

The Stage Door pub – where Goon Show creators Peter Sellars, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe used to meet – falls within the demolition area. John Furniss, manager of the Stag pub, off Victoria Street, said he had been told by the venue’s owners Punch Taverns that it would be closing in 2012 and would be bulldozed. 

Refurbishment work is also scheduled to take place in Castle Lane, a row of houses behind City Hall, which is understood to fall within a wider regeneration zone. 

Eland House, also owned by Land Securities, was built in the 1990s and it is believed Westminster City Council is considering moving into the top six floors if its cabinet give the plan the the go-ahead.

Cllr Dimoldenberg warned of pitfalls associated with any move. To consider it showed the council was in financial trouble, he added.

He said: “The Conservatives obviously believe that this is a marriage made in heaven. But what happens when the Conservatives lose the next general election? 

“I doubt if the next Labour secretary of state would want to share offices with Shirley Porter’s successors. This is a risky move by Westminster and could end up in tears, with the council homeless on the streets around Victoria. Westminster is so strapped for cash that it can no longer afford to pay the rent for a home of its own and has to go cap-in-hand to its friends in government.”

Mr More said: “Given the current tough economic climate it is only right that we are currently reviewing our office space to ensure it provides the best value for money. This review covers City Hall in Victoria Street and some of the options on the table include remaining at our current site, or a partial or full relocation to another nearby building. It’s important to stress that no decisions have yet been taken and we remain open to all options at this stage.”

A spokeswoman for Land Securities said: “Our plans will transform Victoria into a leading business and leisure ­destination via striking architecture, clearer ped­estrian routes and enhanced public spaces.”