Office deals make cash for council

MORE than 400 council staff are working remotely in Swansea, meaning office space can be leased to other organisations to bring in revenue.

Swansea University’s school of management currently uses an area of the Civic Centre – an arrangement worth £350,000 to the council, plus a further £40,000 savings in business rates.

Council chiefs have earmarked a further area in the building to lease to the Welsh Government which should bring in a further £275,000.

The figures were provided in a report to Swansea’s scrutiny programme committee as deputy leader Clive Lloyd gave further details on the development of so-called agile working by staff.

Agile working means staff work remotely but can also share “hot desks” with colleagues.

Setting up each agile worker costs around £1,400.

Councillor Lloyd said: “Did everyone embrace it from day one? I would be lying.

“It’s something that people have grown into.

“It gives people some flexibility, and potentially a better work-life balance.”

He said agile workers were given training and an induction as well as IT equipment, and that contact with managers and colleagues was maintained.

He also said the Civic Centre lease arrangements had break clauses, given that the longer term plan was to demolish the building as part of a wholesale transformation of that section of seafront land.

If that happens, Civic Centre staff would be based at a new office, potentially in the car park opposite the Grand Theatre.

Asked what the timetable was for such a move, Councillor Lloyd said: “We have no immediate plans at this moment in time for the Civic Centre, but we are looking to develop that area of (seafront) land with mixed housing, a digital aquarium and a hotel, potentially.

“I can’t give you a definitive date.” But Councillor Lloyd added he hoped work would start this year on the planned £100 million arena at the LC car park.

The deputy leader was also asked if Brexit should be added to the council’s corporate risk register.

Questioner and councillor Chris Holley said: “Obviously the risks for us (of Brexit) are quite substantial.”

Councillor Lloyd agreed with the comments, and added: “The Welsh Local Government Association has done some considerable amount of work on this. The ‘no deal’ risks are very, very stark.

“We are setting up a Brexit task force shortly.”