Portsmouth City Council urged to move from civic offices

The number of council workers using the civic offices has fallen since the pandemic

A council office block is "no longer fit for purpose" and could cause net zero targets to be missed, a council leader has claimed.

Built in the early 1970s, Portsmouth's Civic Offices in Guildhall Square has black glass and no air-conditioning.

Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson said the authority should move to smaller premises.

The offices have seen a fall in the number of council workers using them due to home-working.

Leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson wants the council to look at alternative sites

Speaking at a council meeting, Mr Vernon-Jackson said it was an "unpleasant place to work" and said an alternative city centre location should be found, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"We will not hit our target for going net zero carbon dioxide if we stay," he added.

Conservative councillor Ryan Brent had put forward a motion raising concerns that home-working meant the building was no longer providing value for money.

He said the number of council officers based there was between five and 10 times lower than before the pandemic, with the cost of the building per on-site employee having risen from between £700 and £800 to as much as £8,000.

'Destroys city'

"Capacity is reduced but we are also now spending more on cleaning and…we're also spending more money on refuse collection and disposal," he said, adding that gas and electricity bills had also risen by £250,000 a year.

Liberal Democrat cabinet member Steve Pitt said he "detested" the building "with every fibre of his being" and that it "destroys the centre of the city".

The motion, which called for a report on future options for the site and a full financial review, was backed by councillors.