Hertfordshire County Council moves forward with controversial plans to sell entire County Hall estate
Councillors agreed to push forward with plans to sell the entire County Hall estate in Hertford.
This week the council confirmed it is planning to sell the site for alternative uses in a bid to raise funds for other services.
Critics of the move have questioned whether the authority should sell off a building that has been used by local Government in Hertfordshire for over 1,000 years and noted the building is Grade II listed.
After the council’s cabinet approved the sale of the estate it was called in by councillors who questioned the suitability of moving the council’s main headquarters to Stevenage.
Hertfordshire’s new authority, which was elected following the May elections where the Conservatives lost majority control of the council, says this decision reflects its policy of making operations more effective by reducing costs.
County Hall has been marketed for employment use since September 2023, following the council’s decision to move most of its services from the Hertford site to its Stevenage Campus.
However, the council says there has been limited interest in securing the site for employment use, with most interested parties looking to rent small parts of the building. It is hoped that more parties will be interested in the site now it is available for residential or commercial use.
Estimations from the council show that the move could save the authority £9.7m that it would cost to remove the County Hall from other business opportunities. The council says it is working on ways it can host democratic meetings at the Stevenage campus.
Councillor Chris Lucas said: “We have not taken this decision lightly and we welcome the feedback that has come from interested parties along with the views of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
“However, if we are to deliver on our pledges to make ourselves more efficient while improving services we must be prepared to embrace change that will bring benefits to all through the investment of any receipts back into the services we deliver.
“By looking at how we can best use our assets, particularly those that are not fully utilised we can reduce the need for borrowing, allowing us to invest in our vital services and deliver on our vision for a better Hertfordshire.”