Surrey Council to move headquarters back into county

The move to Midas House is subject to full council approval

A council is to move its headquarters after more than 50 years outside the county boundaries.

Surrey County Council is set to leave County Hall in the London borough of Kingston from mid 2020.

The council will be based in Midas House in Woking, the council's leader Tim Oliver said.

The new building which can accommodate 1,500 staff will be mainly funded by the sale of County Hall, a council spokesman said.

He said Midas House "represents a fraction of the cost it would take to bring the existing HQ up to modern standards".

"Maintenance costs for the Victorian building are also high, whereas the new base will generate savings of around £700k a year," he said.

The current County Hall, built in the 1890s, found itself outside the county and in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames after boundary changes in 1964.

Mr Oliver said: "Aside from the fact that the new Civic Heart will now actually be inside the county of Surrey, which has been our long-held ambition, the real driver has been the desire to place services right at the heart of the population we are here to serve."

Some teams will be moved to council offices in Leatherhead, Guildford and Reigate, the council said.

Preparations to sell County Hall are under way.

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