Busy Hemel Hempstead offices could be purchased by council
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The ‘Apsley’ offices, on Brindley Way, are already rented by the county council and used by more than 1,000 council staff.
But the council now has the option to acquire the freehold of the Meadowside House premises.
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Hide AdAnd on Wednesday (15 January) the council’s cabinet will determine whether – or not – to approve the purchase.


Financial details relating to the potential purchase have been circulated to councillors privately, as so-called Part II papers, and have not been made public.
However the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the county council currently pays an annual rent of £825k – which is expected to increase to £863k later this year.
The offices, says the report published in advance of the meeting, have been leased by the county council for a number of years.
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Hide AdAnd in 2020 the county council undertook major refurbishment to improve the property – consolidate staff who had occupied two neighbouring buildings into one.
According to the report, the acquisition of the freehold is an opportunity to secure the long-term use of “a key operational asset”.
It would, says the report, “reduce the costs of occupying the property and so support the council’s budget position” and would not require additional borrowing.
Following the publication of the report, a spokesman for Hertfordshire County Council said the purchase of the freehold would enable funds to be redirected into the delivery of council services.
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Hide Ad“Hertfordshire County Council currently pays £825,000 a year to rent our Apsley offices,” said the spokesperson.
“There is also a rent review in 2025 that could lead to the rent increasing further. Acquiring the freehold of the property means that those funds can now be redirected into service delivery. The terms of the acquisition are subject to contract, and so we cannot comment on those matters at this time.”
At the same cabinet meeting, councillors will also be presented with the county council’s draft budget proposals for 2025/26, that will then be subject to public consultation and councillor scrutiny.
The proposals include £1.184bn spending plans for the delivery of services – including social care, children’s services, highways and waste disposal.
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