Dispute after building bid
● HALTON Council has disputed a Government unit’s claim that its offer to buy Castle View House in Runcorn was too low.
A spokesman for the local authority said the bid was ‘realistic’ and would have saved other costs.
The Department For Education (DfE) told the Weekly News last week that the local authority’s bid for the former DfE office had been ‘clearly under value’.
CVH shut in 2013 in what the DfE was a costcutting efficiency drive, claiming the closure would save £500,000 a year.
However, it led to the displacement of hundreds of staff, many of whom objected to having their work relocated to Manchester.
The DfE sold the building to Craig Blackwell And Consortium for £900,000 in 2015.
It has planning permission in place for 188 flats, with a mix of studio, one- bed and two-bed apartments.
The building is part of the Halton Lea NHS Healthy New Town scheme.
Wilmslow-based developer William Developments is now marketing the property as being worth £14.1m in gross value added.
Cllr Rob Polhill, Halton Council leader, has accused the Government of ‘blocking’ the local authority’s bid.
The council spokesman said: “The council offer was realistic and was an opportunity to release a dormant asset for future development.
“It also provided the department with an opportunity to avoid the ongoing cost of security on the building and the costs of redeveloping the building.
“The department was pressing for an unrealistic market value that the council was not prepared to pay from scarce public funds.”