Former council offices may be let after failing to sell

Consort House in Redhill was used by Surrey County Council before a relocation to Reigate

A former council office block with a £6.5m price tag could be rented out after it failed to sell.

Consort House, in Redhill, was used by Surrey County Council before staff were relocated to the authority's current headquarters in Woodhatch Place, Reigate.

Cabinet members at the council are set to approve the letting of the whole building because no acceptable bids for a freehold sale have been received.

The building is currently listed with property advisers Vail Williams for offers in excess of £6.5m.

While the proposed future tenant has not been named, according to a council report it provides contracted services to the NHS.

Meeting documents said Consort House had been "largely vacant" since late 2022, apart from temporary use for libraries storage and a short-term click and collect service.

Rental income

The 2,480 sq m (26,699 sq ft) office block in the centre of Redhill costs the council about £375,000 per year, including security costs and a rental liability for car parking.

"Marketing of the building, on either a freehold or leasehold basis, has been pursued against the background of a very depressed office market over the past two years," an officers' report said.

While the council had received "a small number of speculative and conditional bids", these were not seen as acceptable, the report said.

If the letting goes ahead, it would be the largest office transaction in Redhill and Reigate for more than two years, officers said.

The report said letting it out would mean a long-term rental income stream, and that the building could be held as an investment property.