Nottinghamshire County Council votes to leave County Hall

The council said County Hall cost more than £1.7m to operate and maintain each year

Nottinghamshire County Council is to proceed with plans to relocate from its historic headquarters.

The authority is aiming to save money by moving to a new purpose-built base near Hucknall.

The decision was approved with 32 votes for and 26 against during a full council meeting on Thursday.

The authority said residents, developers, community and heritage groups would be asked for their views on the future use of County Hall.

Early assessments have suggested the building could accommodate 350 residential units and commercial space.

Nottinghamshire County Council's main base has been inside the West Bridgford building for more than 75 years.

But with more staff now working from home, the authority said the site was too large and too expensive to maintain.

It plans to move into a brand new, purpose-build facility near Hucknall in winter 2024/25.

Construction of the new building is expected to start later this year

County council leader Ben Bradley said no decision had yet been made on the future of the current building.

However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said some discussions had already taken place.

Last year regeneration specialists were approached by the authority and a report was produced detailing how the building could be redeveloped.

It said County Hall could accommodate about 350 residential units as well as commercial units like restaurants, working spaces, a creche and a gym.

It was also suggested that new buildings could be added to the site.

Mr Bradley said this did not mean anything had yet been decided.

"It's still an open book and we're going to have conversations about its best uses and about whether this building is viable or not," he said.

"In order to do this, we have to consider what potential other uses there are."