A local authority is looking to reduce costs and maximise productivity by consolidating its staff across a smaller number of buildings.
As reported by the Grimsby Telegraph, North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) is moving employees out of four staff offices and creating new town centre hubs for them to work from.
Through its Agile Working project, the council aims to reduce the number of buildings it occupies from 20 to four or five.
NELC hopes the smart working plan will reduce annual building costs from 1.7 million per year to just £700,000 by 2015.
The council is yet to confirm which buildings will be closed as part of the rationalisation program.
NELC deputy chief executive Liz Jones said the council is “in a time of major organisational change”.
“So staff occupation of office accommodation is an ever moving picture,” she told the news provider.
“Decisions are still to be made about which teams will be based where and what the outcome will look like but we’re determined to reduce our office accommodation while introducing an agile way of working.”
Ms Jones said NELC would make any office moves “as easy as possible for staff”.
“[We] look forward to having many more of our council employees based within the town centre hub,” she added.
Some council employees may be invited to make greater use of mobile and flexible working opportunities, as the number of desk spaces is reduced across the council’s building portfolio.
