THE mass move of council staff into new offices has begun.

Recommendations were approved at a Cabinet meeting last night which will eventually see over 500 civil servants moved out of the Civic Offices and Crayford Town Hall.

It was also announced that £2.7million has been set aside to pay for temporary council accommodation.

West Lodge in Bexleyheath, which is already owned by the council, was given the green light to become the new home to 23 council workers.

It is expected that the moves from Crayford Town Hall and the Civic Offices will take place from August 2008 until October 2009 - the deadline for vacating the Civic Offices.

Cllr Colin Campbell said: "We are now entering into an interesting phase. West Lodge has been chosen because of its very central location. We have now proved that we can decant people without being held to ransom by property owners."

The Bexley First programme will see all the council's staff and equipment moved out of various sites across the borough to centralise its resources.

It currently occupies 11 different sites across the borough.