Office building sale could raise £1m for council

The sale of a vacant office building could raise over £1m for a local authority as it tries to cut costs.

North Yorkshire House, a 20,000 sq ft (1,850 sq m) building in Scarborough, is currently owned by North Yorkshire Council, but has been put up for sale as part of a wider property rationalisation scheme by the authority.

It has been marketed by the council as a "fantastic opportunity" for developers to turn it into a care, assisted living or residential scheme.

The relocation of staff from the office had already delivered annual savings of £200,000, according to North Yorkshire Council

The sale of some authority-owned properties had so far created "revenue savings in excess of £1m" a year, a North Yorkshire Council report said.

The scheme had also seen staff relocated from Jesmond House in Harrogate, Belle Vue in Skipton and Richmondshire House in Richmond.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the savings would be used to support the council's existing and future capital programme.

Gareth Dadd, the authority's executive member for finance and assets, said: "The asset rationalisation proposals will support North Yorkshire Council's carbon reduction programme by decreasing under-utilised property space.

"The repurposing of the surplus assets will support the local economy through inward investment and the provision of alternative employment uses."

North Yorkshire House, on Scalby Road, comes with 72 car parking spaces including four disabled access spaces.

A vacant bank has also been listed for sale alongside the council office and the adjoining parcels were available "together or separately", according to the council report.

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