Outrage as Cambridgeshire County Council's £18m HQ remains empty as staff continue WFH

26 April 2022, 15:56

Cambridgeshire County Council is facing fury from locals as its new headquarters, which cost taxpayers £18 million, remains virtually empty due to 'Covid rules' in place.

The council's New Shire Hall is not being used as staff are being told to continue working from home, despite it being months since Covid restrictions came to an end, according to the Telegraph.

The paper saw just three vehicles in the car park when visiting the site while members of the public also visiting reported being told that no one worked there.

The receptionist held "Covid guidelines" responsible for the quiet building.

However, a council spokesman said it was "incorrect" to suggest that no one was working there.

The new building was previously commissioned by a Tory-led council, which switched out the traditional council chamber for a multi-function room which could be used for full council meetings as well as other meetings and events.

When the Lib Dem-Labour coalition took over, they claimed the room was not fit for purpose due to councillors being unable to socially distance, among other issues.

The rules in place mean no more than 22 people can meet in a chamber designed to hold over 80.

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A report for the council's Strategy and Resources Committee suggested that there were also concerns that members of the public, who are entitled to attend meetings, "will be almost within touching distance of members", so the public will subsequently "have a view of their papers and laptops".

It recommended that there be "physical separation" between councillors and the public like in the old HQ, where the public sat on a balcony.

However, head of the Tory group on the council, Steve Count, suggested leaders were "overthinking" Covid precautions.

The lack of staff returning to their desks caused an uproar from people online.

One person tweeted: "Insanity (not to mention a gross waste of money). Why are they even operating with 'Covid rules' now?"

Another tweeter said: "GET BACK TO WORK ⁦@CambsCC WORKSHY civil servants. The rest of us are back at work - why aren't you?"

A third tweeted: "Yet another reason to demand our hard earned taxpayers money back."

Others slammed the move as "disgusting", with some claiming taxpayers were "being fleeced".

A spokesman for the council told the Telegraph that essential public services had been kept running throughout the pandemic "from a range of workplaces and settings, including through some members of our staff working remotely from home".

They did not say how many staff were working at New Shire Hall and how many were still working from home.