Hundreds of council staff are to be ‘urgently’ moved out of Manchester town hall at a cost of £2.5m - after a review of its condition uncovered health and safety fears.
The top three floors of the listed landmark are to be evacuated into Peter House, near to the Midland hotel, as a result of a scoping exercise launched at the end of 2014.
It uncovered a lack of suitable escape routes from the upper storeys of the Victorian landmark, meaning 200 staff are now being moved out.
An ‘urgent’ decision to move 200 workers - at a cost of £2.5m, some of which will be taken from the council’s reserves - was signed off by the chief executive on May 6, the day after the local elections.
It has not been subject to scrutiny by backbenchers due to its urgency, according to the decision notice.
A new two-year lease will be entered into for part of Peter House on Oxford Street, although it is so far unclear when staff will be moved.
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The M.E.N. requested information on May 2 on plans for the town hall’s refurbishment - which is expected to run into tens of millions of pounds due to its archaic electrical system, asbestos levels and other structural problems - after it appeared on a list of key decisions expected after the election.
However no response was received until this week, by which point the £2.5m decision to move staff out had been signed off.
It is so far unclear when the review of the town hall’s condition, agreed in October 2014, concluded there was an issue with fire exits. The council said surveys were still ongoing, adding it would be ‘premature’ to speculate on the overall cost of refurbishment, a decision on which is due in July.
Deputy council leader Bernard Priest said the building was a ‘national treasure’ and Manchester icon, adding: “Although magnificent, and structurally sound, it is inevitably showing its age and we are reaching a point where certain essential works will be required to safeguard the building for the next 140 years and ensure it meets modern safety and access standards.
"We are responsible custodians of this gem on behalf of present and future Mancunians and will share our plans with the public once they have been produced.”
