Cabinet approves spend of up to £1.85m on County Hall

Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet has today (Thursday, July 18) approved plans to spend £375,000 on stripping out and inspecting RAAC panels on the upper floors of the building.

The presence of RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) means parts of County Hall have been off-limits since September 2023.

Depending on the findings of that investigation, another £1.5m could be spent on returning the building to the state it was in before it was vacated in June, when legionella bacteria was found.

SIGNS: The register office is still open at County Hall, but most staff are based elsewhere (Image: Phil Wilkinson-Jones/LDRS)

The council’s leader, Tory councillor Simon Geraghty, said: “I’d like to pay tribute to officers and staff across the council in all areas for making sure our services to the public have continued.

“We have carried on maintaining roads and educating children. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t see, to make such a transition possible at a time of real change.

“We now need to get in there with some real professionals and do a full analysis of the RAAC panels and get a realistic idea of what can be done.

“We are not spending £1.85m for no end. But we have a duty to try to get it open - we owe it to our staff, who are our most important asset, we have tenants in Defra who are paying us and we host public meetings.”

READ MORE: 'Public should have a say on future of County Hall'

READ MORE: Council staff make temporary move to new office

Cllr Geraghty said he didn’t know how long the process would take.

Marcus Hart, the cabinet member for corporate services, said: “It is vital we have experts look at our building and come up with real proposals.

“In terms of the £1.5m budget, it is right we have proper governance and due process. This quantum of cash will only be spent if we are able to put ourselves back in the position we were in before we vacated the building. This is no blank cheque.

“County Hall has been our headquarters since 1976 - the public expects us to do this properly.”

Lib Dem councillor Dan Boatright-Greene said there were problems in County Hall long before RAAC or legionella bacteria were found there.

“I’ve been leaked on by pipes in there and won’t use the underground car park for that reason,” he said.

“I’m in love and out of love with County Hall at the same time.

“This doesn’t bring the whole building back into use and if we can’t, what is the next step? When do we get a full debate on this?”

Cllr Boatright-Greene said he would like to see the council looking at other options, adding: “I’m really uncomfortable with this.”

The plans were approved by cabinet, with the money coming from council reserves.