Scottish Daily Mail

Taxpayers facing £1m bill for council’s plans to move downstairs

- By Gordon Currie

IT may sound like a simple case of carting office materials down a few flights of stairs.

But a cash-strapped council has revealed it is spending £850,000 on moving from the fourth floor to the ground floor of its building.

Perth and Kinross Council says the plan to make its HQ more ‘modern’ involves borrowing the money and paying £60,000 in interest every year.

The proposal to move meeting rooms from the top floor of the listed building to the ground floor has been revealed along with a £3.3million refurbishm­ent programme for the council chambers in High Street, Perth.

Switching floors will entail a £150,000 spend on anti-noise and privacy measures, says a report going before councillor­s next week.

However depute chief executive Jim Valentine recommends the move downstairs is approved.

He said: ‘The report recommends the relocation of the Council Chambers from Floor 4 to the ground floor of 2 High Street together with associated works to Floor 4 of the building at an estimated additional cost of £850,000.

‘This estimate comprises £700,000 for building and enabling works and a provision of £150,000 for appropriat­e furniture and audio-visual solutions.

‘It is proposed that this expenditur­e be met through incurring £850,000 of addi- tional prudential borrowing. The annual revenue cost of supporting this additional borrowing is estimated at £60,000.

He added: ‘The relocation of the Council Chambers to the ground floor presents significan­t benefits in terms of supporting public access to the building together with the opportunit­y to create a modern flexible meeting space for the Council.’

Mr Valentine accepted there were ‘additional cost implicatio­ns in delivering this.’ But he said the move would allow the to better utilise the space in the building.

He added: ‘Any later re-configurat­ion of the Chambers will be more expensive and disruptive. It is, therefore, recommende­d that the council approve the relocation of the Council Chambers to the ground floor.’

The proposal involves introducin­g secondary opaque glazing and acoustic treatments to the Council Chamber to address traffic noise and privacy. There will also be ‘a flexible lighting solution and air conditioni­ng’.

It is not the first time the council’s spending has raised eyebrows. There was a storm of criticism last year when it spent £20,000 on hiring singer Peter Andre to switch on the Christmas lights in Perth.

The council initially refused to disclose the sum spent, but was forced to reveal it after a ruling by Scotland’s Informatio­n Commission­er.

The council also paid disco stars Boney M £8,000, and Britain’s Got Talent favourites Jack Pack £4,000 to appear at the switch on – pushing the total public spend by more than £32,000. It said it was justified because the event was a success.

‘Significan­t benefits’

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