Council could reduce estate by nearly a half thanks to WFH

A council is considering disposing of up to to 40% of its buildings, amid claims many offices are being left empty as staff work from home.

Officers at Lincolnshire County Council are carrying out a full survey and appraisal of all sites, with a report due by the spring.

Conservative Richard Butroid told a full council meeting part of its offices based in Newland could be sold.

Labour councillor Rob Parker had said how empty the buildings were at times.

He told the meeting on Friday: “If you walk along any corridor [in the council offices], you can usually open a door and see nobody in, next one along nobody there, go upstairs, walk along, nobody there.

“I know there’s a government reorganisation coming up that could change the nature completely of Lincoln as a base for whatever system comes into place, but could you give us all an indication of how you see us occupying space in this building in a much more efficient way?”

Mr Butroid, executive member for property, said the examination of the authority’s buildings had “slowed down” due to a change in assistant director, but that he had been pushing to get officers to work on the report for the past two months.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: “There is definitely a drive to consolidate to make sure we’re getting the best use out of our buildings and not costing the council any more than money than it needs to.”

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to Lincolnshire County Council by the Local Democracy Reporting Service showed that as of 1 November, there was around 6,000sqm of unused workspace due to staff working from home.

The space included two office buildings on the Lincoln campus including 181 rooms.

The FOI showed that the office accommodation that may be needed had been consolidated into other buildings.