AN area office for Suffolk county council staff is being sought in Ipswich, even though the authority is moving into a £16m purpose built headquarters next April.
By Graham Dines
AN area office for Suffolk county council staff is being sought in Ipswich, even though the authority is moving into a £16m purpose built headquarters next April.
Around 1,600 staff work in the current county hall complex and 1,151 will be moving to Endeavour House in Ipswich Village.
In replies to Tory leader Jeremy Pembroke at yesterday's meeting of the council, Ray Novak, the portfolio holder for finance, physical and human resources, said the switch to Endeavour House would separate strategic headquarters staff from area staff, who currently work in the same buildings in Ipswich.
"It will bring Ipswich into line with the rest of Suffolk, where there are area offices for members of staff. The new headquarters will be able to concentrate on strategic service delivery."
Endeavour House was bought for a knockdown price from the administrators of former energy supplier TXU. It is estimated a new headquarters would have cost £40m for land, building, and fitting out.
The St Helen's Court complex of county hall is currently on the market, but other buildings around Rope Walk are being retained while plans for a university in Ipswich are being drawn up.
Mr Novak said area staff were likely to be accommodated in St Edmund House in Rope Walk, one of the buildings not up for sale.
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