MCC is coming home

12^th January 2010

Monmouthshire County Councillors will consider a proposal that will see staff having a strategic headquarters in Usk with enhanced customer focussed service delivery from the county towns.

The recommendation, which goes to a meeting of Council on Thursday (14th January), asks councillors to approve the move from their current headquarters at County Hall, Cwmbran, to a new, appropriate replacement building within the county it serves.

Leader of the Council, Peter Fox, said:

"A proposal will be put to Council on January 14th that suggests we develop a strategic centre near Usk as the public face of the Council - this will be where everyone in Monmouthshire can see and participate in the democratic decision making processes that shape service delivery in the County.

"The suggested approach recommends a smaller development at the Usk site than was previously envisaged. The headquarters at Usk would have approximately 100 work spaces to service around 200 "hot desking" staff with meeting and debating facilities for the Council, other organisations and the public.

"Enhanced local services would be delivered from improved offices in the county towns where we plan to focus investment on the following sites:

• Abergavenny - Town Hall, Tudor Street;

• Monmouth - Market Hall, Whitecross Street;

• Chepstow - One Stop Shop, Boverton House;

• Caldicot - One Stop Shop.

" There would be non-public facing support offices at a site yet to be decided with approximately 200 work spaces where our more technical and back-office functions will be performed"

Deputy Leader of the Council, Bob Greenland added:

"This represents a significant project for the Council and we are keen to ensure the changes deliver improved services as well as excellent value for money. Putting more of our officers in and around the county towns can only help the local service based economy"

The full report is here . The report details recommendations on the buildings that MCC will look to dispose of in order to part finance the project. It examines the cost implications of pursuing either a larger development or no development at all on the Rhadyr site. The projected gross cost of the recommended proposal is £17 million although this will be partially offset by receipts from property disposals. The figure is consistent with earlier planning assumptions albeit the suggested approach delivers much more for citizens as it proposes a full estate modernisation rather than investing solely in one new building. It enables Monmouthshire County Council to come home to the County of Monmouthshire, to get closer to citizens and to deliver services from places that are closer to peoples homes.