Councillor backs shared buildings (From Worcester News)

Councillor backs shared buildings

10:40pm Tuesday 19th July 2011 in News

SHARING council buildings with other public sector bodies will give better value for taxpayers, a leading councillor believes.

Councillor Bob Banks told Wychavon district councillors plans to share space would “save a good deal of money” and make a better use of space “than has perhaps been the case previously.”

He was presenting a report to Wychavon on the county-wide Capital and Assets pathfinder scheme.

All the county’s councils are having their say on a 10-year plan aimed at saving money by having services such as libraries or benefits offices in the same places as other public sector bodies.

In Wychavon, council leaders have already put forward moving the Droitwich one-stop shop to the library and Pershore Library to the Civic Centre.

But vehicle workshops and depots could be merged under “significant consolidations” across the county and any replacement hospital in Evesham, could also provide a base for other services.

Coun Banks said the rise in property prices meant the public sector could no longer buy premises to fit its needs, but had to work with what it already had.