Call for costs breakdown of South Gloucestershire Council's £32m offices in Yate

8:40am Thursday 4th March 2010

By Alexandra Womack

CALLS have been made for a breakdown of the costs of South Gloucestershire Council’s £32million offices in Yate.

Local people want to know what steps the authority has taken to minimise costs during the recession and are calling for greater transparency, including public tours of the building.

Among the expensive features within the flagship offices on Badminton Road are coloured glass panels designed by professional artist Kate Maestri and a £910,000 self-cleaning roof. Materials and equipment have been sourced from Belgium, Italy and Denmark to construct the 10,000 sq ft building which will become home to the authority’s planning, community services and children and young people departments.

Gay Bidwell, from Yate, said: "The building is not pleasing to the eye, it is an eyesore and one day will make a nice prison."

She added: "So much money has been squandered on this building, we could have had a hospital built out here for that much. I would like a breakdown of how much has been spent on what."

Mandy Sainsbury, from Dodington, said: "If we had no potholes, schools were kept open, there were no parking problems and a good public transport system then people would say these offices are no problem. But these other things have been pushed to one side in sacrifice.

"The council should be open and transparent and is far more likely to get residents on side if they offer public inspections so people can see how their hard-earned money has been spent."

Iron Acton Parish Council said it was concerned over the costs of the office block, the lack of parking on site and insufficient infrastructure.

A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said: "Badminton Road is part of the council's ongoing drive to become a more efficient organisation - it will save taxpayers around £1.3million per year over the lifetime of the building, by allowing the council to move out of existing inefficient and expensive buildings.

"The council has borrowed the majority of the money needed to fund the building - so it is not diverted from other projects or services - on the basis that it will generate major savings, helping to free up resources to further improve services and keep council tax down."

He said as many materials as possible had been sourced from this country and many features were environmentally-friendly in a bid to cut running costs and reduce the council’s carbon footprint. He added that the roof was a cheaper option than a glass one.

The council said Yate had received significant investment recently including refurbishments at Yate Leisure Centre and the library as well as the new West Gate Health Centre.

South Gloucestershire Council last year announced it was shedding 317 posts in a bid to save £12million over three years. The authority is due to start moving into the offices next month and has invited residents living next to the site for tours of the building. Anyone else wishing to look inside is advised to contact the council.