Council to make temporary move to offices near County Hall

Worcestershire County Council’s sprawling County Hall building in Spetchley Road has been closed since last week after bacteria that can lead to Legionnaire’s disease was found in its water supply.

Staff have been working from home and from council depots to keep key services running.

CLOSED: County Hall is shut apart from the Registry Office (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

But office space is needed and the council is looking to utilise the Wildwood offices just around the corner from County Hall.

It is thought it will take another 10 days or so to get the offices ready to act as a temporary base for the council’s management team and other core services.

The registry office at County Hall is still open for weddings and for the registration of births, marriages and deaths.

Council chief executive Paul Robinson confirmed that toilets are now available on the site - but not in the building itself.

In the meantime, investigations are underway to fully assess the building and councillors are expected to make a decision on its future in the autumn.

Parts of County Hall have been closed since September 2023 when reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found in the building.

Since the discovery of Legionella bacteria, Lakeview Cafe is also currently closed.

Legionella bacteria can cause Legionnaire’s disease, a lung infection that causes flu-like symptoms and is caused by inhaling water droplets.

Last month, county councillor Matt Jenkins called for members of the public to be involved when the future of County Hall is finally decided.

The councillor, who represents the St Stephen division, asked about the long-term viability of the building in a council meeting.

In response, cabinet member Marcus Hart said external engineering contractors were exploring a number of options including underpinning the upper floors.

But he said all options needed to be “costed, ranked and considered”.

Cllr Jenkins said: “It will be a tough decision, the cost of RAAC is £25 million to replace, do we stay or do we go?

“We should all be involved in the decision as councillors and the public will have to be involved as well. I’m pleading for scrutiny on this - perhaps via the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Board - we do like transparency.