Future of Dorchester's County Hall up for debate
Dorset Council say they're looking at how to make best use of it
Redevelopment of the County Hall site in Dorchester has not been ruled out in the long-term, according to Dorset Councillors.
Cllr Andrew Parry, whose brief involves making the best use of Dorset Council’s land and property, said that the authority was looking at the building’s future, given changes in working practices since Covid.
Councillors have been told that the issue of ‘hot desking’ and the way staff will work in the coming years is still developing – which will have an impact on the need for physical office space.
It is likely that there will be a need for a “substantial building” in Dorchester but other uses for the County Hall site may also be considered, including sharing space with other public bodies.
Cllr Parry said that, in his view, there remains “something to be gained” as an organisation by bringing people together in a workspace. He said:
“There is a knowledge and a camaraderie amongst colleagues, a real purpose to it and we need to ensure that happens.
“But there are times when you just need a desk and chair, to log on, and crack on with something… that’s a pragmatic way to go forward.”
He said if he was asked to look ten years into the future it was likely that there would be surplus space within the County Hall building which, he said “may create the opportunity for us to find revenue elsewhere.”
In a public question earlier in the year to the council, Dorset resident Tracee Cossey said:
“The County Hall site in Dorchester is barely used. The library has moved, the County Court has closed and many of the remaining buildings have few permanent staff with many people choosing to work from home. This is a large site with considerable potential for brownfield development that would have a much lower carbon footprint than any greenfield development in the area.
"Would the council consider a full redevelopment of the site by adding it to the official Brownfield register with the purpose of providing affordable and social housing for the people of Dorset?”