Surrey County Council to leave Kingston’s County Hall
Surrey County Council will leave County Hall in Kingston, new council leader Tim Oliver has announced.
The county councillor for Weybridge revealed his plans in his acceptance speech on 11 December.
Oliver said: “For 50 years we have not been close enough to the residents we serve, and we all represent. I have therefore asked the officers to start the detailed planning for the relocation of the people in this building back into the county of Surrey.”
Surrey County Council will leave County Hall in Kingston, new council leader Tim Oliver has announced.
The county councillor for Weybridge revealed his plans in his acceptance speech on 11 December.
Oliver said: “For 50 years we have not been close enough to the residents we serve, and we all represent. I have therefore asked the officers to start the detailed planning for the relocation of the people in this building back into the county of Surrey.”
Surrey County Council owns the freehold for the site at County Hall on Penrhyn Road. It has been the council headquarters since 1893, and has been extensively refurbished over the years.
County Hall has been used as a location for a number of films and TV shows, including Midsomer Murders, Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife. It is home to around 1,500 council staff.
The building was designed by architect Charles Henry Howell in 1860, who was renowned for designing psychiatric hospitals in Surrey. It was extended and refurbished in 1982.
Due to local government reorganisation, County Hall is no longer within administrative county of Surrey, and is now contained within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.
In the meeting, Oliver said the council would be looking to move to existing sites in Surrey. The council said it intends to vacate County Hall by the end of 2020 and has not confirmed if it will be looking to sell or lease the building.
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