Council to make temporary move to office near HQ

The Wildwood offices are around the corner from County Hall

A council headquarters in Worcestershire is to be temporarily moved, after legionella bacteria were found.

The County Hall building in Spetchley Road in Worcester was closed last week and staff have been working from home and depots.

Worcestershire County Council is looking to use the Wildwood offices around the corner from the headquarters and it is thought it will take more than a week to get these ready.

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

Investigations are under way 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 when reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was discovered.

Legionella bacteria, which were found in the water supply, can cause Legionnaire’s disease, a lung infection that usually results in flu-like symptoms, but in extreme cases can lead to death.

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

The County Hall building in Spetchley Road in Worcester was closed last week

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

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

But he added all options needed to be "costed, ranked and considered".

Mr Jenkins said: "It will be a tough decision, the cost of Raac is £25m to replace - do we stay or do we go?"

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.