Birkenhead authorities were keen to sell the town hall building but failed to find an appropriate buyer. According to the Liverpool Echo, they are now considering other viable options, including having their own staff operate from the site.
The town hall building in Hamilton Square has come under scrutiny as part of a wider review of the council’s properties. The review is aimed at saving money and trimming budgets, as councils around the UK have been required to do following large-scale public spending cuts.
Part of the council’s problem is that it currently occupies more office space in the northwest of England than it needs to accommodate its existing workforce.
The council’s aim is essentially to maximise the office space it has available, sell what it doesn’t need, and improve the quality of any buildings being retained. If a £2.3 million refurbishment effort is deemed unaffordable, two buildings adjacent to the town hall may be demolished.
“There is an ongoing review of office accommodation underway with the aim of saving money on repairing, maintaining and running this large number of under-occupied buildings and instead investing in a smaller number of efficiently-run, fit-for-purpose office facilities,” said councillor Adrian Jones, Wirral’s cabinet member for corporate resources.
“As well as rationalising office accommodation the council is also looking to encourage more agile working amongst its staff to further reduce the requirement for office space,” he said.
A recent report from the Global Workspace Association suggested that mobile professionals worldwide are increasingly using flexible office solutions like virtual offices and on-demand meeting rooms as their office space needs evolve.
Editor’s notes: As of July 2024, the town hall building in Hamilton Square had not been sold and Wirral Borough Council retained ownership.