Municipal offices called into question

Councillor Greg Couzens

The building of the new municipal offices has come into question in light of the level of cuts in services.

Councillor Peter Williams has asked cabinet member for finance and corporate management, Councillor Greg Couzens, if the building is still a desirable assest for the future or will it become a liability before it opens.

Councillor Couzens assured Councillor Williams that this would not be the case.
He said: “The scheme will save in excess of £28m over 30 years.

"Also, as the council reduces its total number of buildings, it will achieve further savings by having less buildings to bring up to future environmental standards.

“The size of the building has already reduced considerably to take into account expected staff reductions, which has saved money in the build and payback costs.

“In addition to the 33 buildings identified within the original business case there is a reserve list of around 50 other buildings which can be disposed of to save even more money.

“The development is also an important catalyst for the regeneration of Rochdale Town Centre.”