Nottinghamshire Council meeting in ‘unfinished’ new Hucknall home branded ‘political stunt’ by opposition

The Conservative-led authority met on March 20 for the first full council meeting inside its new building off Annesley Road between Hucknall and Linby.

County Hall in West Bridgford – the authority’s old base – costs more than £1.7m to run each year – leading the council to move out.

The council decided to move away from County Hall in 2023 with the old building requiring more than £30m of essential maintenance works over the next 12 years and an additional £28m needed to bring it up to modern standards.

Construction of the modern, green building – ‘Oak House’ – began in January 2024.

Coun Sam Smith (Con), council leader, says the move is saving around £200,000 on rent and nearly £2m on upkeep.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), he said: “It’s not a council HQ, it was never going to be a council HQ.

"What it was built for is to move the services of children and adults and the multi-agency safeguarding partnership that is more required in the north – there’s more demand for that in the north of the county.”

In a February full council meeting, the Labour group at the council tabled an amendment to the budget, looking at selling Oak House and keeping democratic services at County Hall, which was rejected.

Coun Smith said: “Labour want to flog it off for a few million quid – ridiculous – whilst having no answer whatsoever on how they would fund the over £30m renovation of County Hall.

“County Hall has windows that aren’t efficient, water tanks in the loft that aren’t performing to the best it can do which affects the running water and toilets.

“Are they going to close the libraries, the family hubs, are they going to say to the residents of Bassetlaw they’re not going to repair their roads or pavements, or to the people of Sherwood they’re not going to be having their lovely country park protected to fund staying at County Hall?”

Coun Kate Foale, Labour group leader, called the decision to holf the full council meeting at Oak House a ‘political stunt’.

She said to the LDRS: “To have it here, in effect, just because the Conservative administration want to say we’ve had a full council meeting at Oak House before the May 1 local election, it’s just bonkers, a complete waste of time and money.

“I think I’d even describe it as a political stunt, clearly its not ready, it’s a building site around here.”

Coun Foale maintained Labour would still plan to sell Oak House if they win the authority in May, with ‘huge scope’ development plans for County Hall.

Coun Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), opposition Nottinghamshire County Independents Group leader, echoed Coun Foale’s ‘stunt’ comment.

Speaking with the LDRS, he said: “The building’s not finished, I’m already on my second health and safety briefing, the building’s not finished, it’s dangerous.

“Members of the public want us to deliver on their priorities, not be stood outside for photo shoots.”

Coun Zadrozny said Oak House will be turned into a health centre if he becomes council leader in May.

He said: “We’ve already been told because of the way that councils might split, County Hall is actually going to be needed.

“All of the districts and boroughs across Nottinghamshire will be rolled into them, they’ve got offices and spaces, we’ll be able to use the whole estate and this is why this building won’t be needed.”

Coun Smith added following the meeting: “The democratic side of it is finished (construction) and we’re cracking on with business.

"Yes other parts of the building are under construction, once that’s completed in May it will be a staggered move.

“If Labour and Ashfield Independents think it’s a political stunt to save taxpayers money by reducing the amount we spend on rent and building maintenance, investing that money into local services then that is the political stunt I would like to be on the side of.