Dorset Council officers to desk share - with limited time in the office
Dorset Council is also reducing the number of office buildings it has on lease
Council officers at Dorset Council will have to share desks – for the limited time they are expected to be in the office.
The council says it will continue to minimise the number of staff working from offices with many expected to come into council buildings less frequently.
It is now planning for five desks for each ten full-time staff – provided it can ensure a Covid-safe working environment in line with current Government advice.
Councillors have been told that staff and trades unions are being consulted about the changes.
“The ratio is realistic and deliverable…we are confident about it and it is consistent with the requirement of Covid,” said executive director for place John Sellgren.
Less room is also expected to be needed for the storage of paper documents which will, in turn, further reduce the need for so many buildings, allowing the council to further cut back on the traditional space it needs.
Buildings on lease, such as Princes House in Dorchester and the former East Dorset council HQ at Furzehill have already been released with others expected to follow. The former North Dorset district council site in Blandford is currently being re-developed for housing.
The council’s South Walks House building in Dorchester has now been vacated with a planning consent in place for conversion to 40-plus flats, although other uses are said to still be under consideration. In Weymouth the former borough council offices at North Quay remain empty while the redevelopment of the site for housing with some commercial units is still being considered.
Opportunities are being investigated for town and parish councils to express an interest in some Dorset Council assets while work is also underway to look at the transfer to suitable community groups. Some council-owned sites could be used to help meet the area’s housing needs while talks will be held with other public bodies to see if some sites could be used for joint ventures.
Executive director John Sellgren told Tuesday’s place and resources scrutiny committee that work was also continuing to look at how possible future demand could be met using the council’s estate for social services and housing needs.
He said that although the direction of travel was likely to be for the disposal of land and property there would still be occasions when the council might want to step in and buy to meet a need – the former St Mary’s School site near Shaftesbury being the most recent example, bought at around £10m to help with the demand for children with additional educational and other support needs.
Reviews are taking place by the council of its assets sector by sector – with hotels and farms currently under consideration.