RECENT coverage of the council’s move to West Offices has focused on the overall costs as much as on the savings this move will generate for the council and the local taxpayer.

While there are inevitable costs associated with the move, which were agreed under the Liberal Democrats and retained by the current administration, the savings generated by this move should not be underestimated. At a time when council budgets are being cut back to the point where some councils nationally are in danger of ceasing to exist, these savings of £17 million over 25 years are not to be sniffed at. The council will move from 17 buildings to two, and will stop paying rent on many buildings which weren’t council owned.

The move will not only make significant savings but ensure that customer contact with the council is much more straightforward by being in one place. Having partners such as the CAB in the same building not only generates income but also makes sense from the perspective of residents accessing multiple services.

This is a positive step forward for the council and for the city.

Coun Julie Gunnell, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services.