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Cash-strapped Canterbury City Council is willing to spend £12 million on a controversial move to a new headquarters, KentOnline understands.
Outraged opposition councillors say they have been briefed on the cost of a proposed move away from the current base in Military Road and are calling on the authority to carefully reconsider its budget.
But the council, which is eyeing up the Wincheap Industrial Estate as its favoured new location, says it will not reveal financial details as doing so would hamper its chances of “getting the best price” from construction firms.
Lib Dem Mike Sole, however, says councillors have been made aware of a £12 million purse to create a state-of-the-art, carbon-neutral base.
“We’ve been told that’s the gross cost of a new building,” said Cllr Sole.
“They’ll get money from the sale of the the current offices to offset against that price.
“But £12 million is a big number and it needs to be carefully thought through. Otherwise it’s a waste.
“We need to be given the costings for a refurbishment of the existing offices as it would not cost that amount.”
The council says it would need spend £1.6 million over the next 10 years merely to keep the current offices watertight and usable.
Councillors last year agreed to put aside £2 million just to plan for the move. Twenty sites were researched as potential new bases.
Flattening three superstores in Simmonds Road, Wincheap - Beds 4 Us, Carpets 4 Less, and home furniture specialists Bamboo Tiger - is the most favoured.
The units, owned by the council, would make way for “zero-carbon” and “sustainable” headquarters offering 50 parking spaces.
Other options being considered include Station Road West and building on the current car park at the existing offices.
Cllr Sole added: “They are so intent on moving offices and are waving this climate emergency flag, saying they want to make the new offices carbon-neutral.
“That is all well and good but we’ll be paying the price for many decades.
“There will also be CO2 emissions for the build of the offices.
“There will be much less parking too. It’s all well and good encouraging people to use public transport - but then those people have also got to get to the train station to begin with.
“I do think the council has got its priorities all wrong.”
However, authority spokesman Rob Davies says the council needs to move if it wants to meet carbon-neutral status by 2030.
“The estimated cost of the new offices cannot be made public yet, as we will need to tender for a construction company for the project,” he said.
“Revealing the estimated budget now could prevent us from getting the best price.
“But the aim is to largely fund the project by selling the Military Road site and land in Station Road West for housing, plus some borrowing if necessary.
“It is highly unlikely we would ever meet our climate emergency declaration - which was unanimously agreed by members of all the council’s political parties - if we stay here.”
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