Cornwall Council has revealed details of the buildings and land which it is looking to sell off as it tries to drastically reduce the size of its estate.
In 2020 the council announced plans to downsize its offices in a bid to cut costs and make its estate more energy efficient.
Last year this plan was updated after the coronavirus lockdown showed the council how easily staff could work from home so they decided to look at whether less offices were needed.
This has led the council to have a new plan which will aim to have many officers working from home two to three days a week.
The council is now looking to have three main centres – in Truro, Bodmin and Camborne – with smaller centres in other towns to deliver council services.
In addition the council has been looking to unlock more sites for redevelopment to provide much needed local housing.
As a result it indicated plans to dispose of sites such as its current offices in Penwinnick Road in St Austell.
Now an updated report on the operational estate transformation, as it is known, has been published ahead of a meeting of the council’s customer and support services overview and scrutiny committee next week.
This report states that the plan could help deliver savings of £1.4million by 2023/24 and adds: “In addition, early release of key assets like Penwinnick House, St Austell, Old County Hall site/buildings, Truro, will not only remove their ongoing revenue liability, but enable them to be repurposed or redeveloped, making use of our own assets for housing purposes as quickly as possible.”
The report also reveals which buildings and sites could be sold off in the first two tranches of the programme which cover Camborne, Newquay, Falmouth, Bodmin, Saltash, Launceston and the buildings in Truro closest to New County Hall.
This shows there are 45 different buildings and pieces of land which have been earmarked for sale including libraries, children’s centres and offices – and there could still be more to come, with other towns still to be looked at.
Camborne:
Camborne Family Centre
Teylu House
Camborne Family Hub
Troon Children’s Centre
Camborne Centre
The White House
The Basset Centre
First floor at Camborne Health Office
The future plans for the council’s services in Camborne are for them to be based at its current offices in Dolcoath.
Falmouth:
The Lighthouse Children’s Centre
The Park Children’s Centre
Stable Block, Princess Pavilion
Under the proposals council services will be accessed at the Falmouth and Penryn Adult Education Centre in future.
Truro:
Old County Hall
Helford House
Gannel House
Carrick House
St Clement House
Circuit House
Pydar House
Rooms at Truro Library
Penair bungalow
In future all council services in Truro are set to be delivered from New County Hall.
Penzance:
Council services in Penzance will continue to be provided in St John’s Hall but those to be released include:
John Daniel Centre
2 Alverton Street
Penzance Roscadghill Park
Old Eliot Hut
Launceston:
Launceston Library
Launceston Family Hub (inc CAMHS)
Orchard Centre
Cattle Market Car Park (part release)
Madford House
Dunheved House (part)
Offices 1,2 and 3 Old National School
Tourist Information Centre
Under the council’s plans a new hub would be built for the council to base its services in in Exeter Street
Newquay:
Newquay Day Centre
St Columb Major Children’s Centre
Newquay Children’s Centre
Newquay Youth Centre
Newquay Open Learning Centre
Newquay Club for the Disabled
Marcus Hill offices
The council is looking to have a hub for services located at Lanherne House in future.
Bodmin:
Berryfields Family Hub
Beacon Family Hub
Lyndhurst Offices
Windwhistle House
All council services in future will be provided from the council’s current main centre in Bodmin at Chy Trevail.
Saltash:
First floor front left office at 18 Belle Vue
Saltash Methodist Church
St Barnabas Hospital
No decision has yet been made about where council services will be provided from in future.
Further tranches of the programme will consider the future of buildings and sites in St Austell, Truro, Wadebridge, Hayle, Helston, Torpoint, Bude and Redruth. In addition the council is also reviewing its outdoor education facilities, children’s short breaks centres and Corserv depots.
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