Green light given for new multi-million council headquarters in Alconbury
Cambridgeshire County Council's design concept for the new £18m headquarters at Alconbury. Picture; CAMBS CC - Credit: Archant
Work on Cambridgeshire County Council’s new £18 million headquarters at Alconbury Weald is set to start in the late autumn after the authority was granted planning permission for the building.
The cost will be offset by the estimated £60million the council expects to save over 30 years by moving way from the present Shire Hall headquarters site in Cambridge.
The county council plans to break ground on the two-storey building, which will have desks for 350 staff, before the end of the year. It will also contain a meeting place for the council, a number of informal meeting places and a public reception area, together with environmental features such as charging points for electric cars and solar panelling.
Countywide support services, including finance, information technology and human resources will be housed in the new headquarters, with public services operating from buildings and spaces around the county.
Cllr Josh Schumann, chairman of the council's commercial and investments committee, said: "I want to thank the officers, members and citizens who have helped shape our plans over the last 18 months and got us to where we are today.
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"Their effort and input has been invaluable, and I'm excited by the prospect of now going ahead and creating a space that is efficient, flexible and collaborative - one that works for staff, councillors and the public."
Chris Malyon, deputy chief executive, added: "The decision today is a significant step forward in our plans to be more present across the county, and I'm pleased that we remain on-track and on budget.
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"It shows our commitment to investing in our services and people - putting us in the best position to support our growing county."
The authority said that alongside the new headquarters it had been investing in its own buildings around Cambridgeshire, including upgrading IT systems so that staff can work in a more "agile" manner.
