Chester Council Sells Hall to University, Relocates to HQ
September 16th, 2009
The Chester Council has approved the sale of County Hall building to the University of Chester for a reported ₤28.75 million. The University plans to maximise on space with an office fitout to use the premises, located at the riverside, for housing its growing staff strength as it grows in size.
Until now, the building has been occupied by the Cheshire West and Chester Council, which will be moving to the HQ premises located on Nicholas Street. The deal is likely to have a twofold advantage for the council. Apart from the financial gain from sale of the asset, the consolidation of offices in the HQ building is likely to save the taxpayers from paying substantial sums of money towards maintenance and upkeep. This reduction is estimated to be 4 million over the next five years alone.
Under the terms of the deal, the castle square park will be valued and sold as a separate property, not attached to the Hall. This will bring in additional revenue for the council. Also, Cheshire East Council has approved the deal on the basis of a clause, which states that the car park will receive an independent valuation.
While announcing the deal, Council Leader Mike Jones said that the deal was beneficial to both the University as well as the city. Each would benefit from the other and this would have positive repercussions all round.
He further said that the Hall was a great building within an excellent business location, but as an office space was less efficient than the council’s other setups like HQ. The efficiency would be badly needed as the council continues to grow in responsibility, he added.
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