Hertfordshire County Hall is to be marketed for alternative uses following a decision by councillors.
Hertfordshire County Council, which has moved most of its services out of the Grade II*-listed building in Hertford, first marketed it for employment use in September 2023.
It attracted little interest from potential office occupiers so the council has now agreed to market it for residential or other commercial uses.
The council’s previous administration had wanted the front section, including the council chamber, separated and retained for council meetings but now the whole building will be marketed, saving £9.7 million in building costs and loss of value.
Cllr Chris Lucas, executive member for resources & performance, said: “While there is a lot of fondness for County Hall and the history it represents, our plan for a fair deal for Hertfordshire hinges on our ability to make the county council more effective, in part by making better use of our existing resources.
“In addition to finalising the future of County Hall, we have commissioned a review into our wider property portfolio which we expect a report on later this year.
“By looking at how we can best use our assets, particularly those that are not fully utilised we can reduce the need for borrowing, allowing us to invest in our vital services and deliver on our vision for a better Hertfordshire.”
Potential bidders will be expected to demonstrate that their proposals will protect the building’s heritage. While a sale awaits, the site will continue to generate income for the council by being rented out for TV and film projects.
Image: Richard Kelly, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
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