Council buildings could close

10:41am Wednesday 19th September 2001

A radical shake-up of the use of municipal buildings could see Barnet Council pulling out of the north of the borough.

Barnet House in Whetstone High Road and the former Friern Barnet town hall in Friern Barnet Lane are both under review, according to council leader Alan Williams.

Speaking at the launch of Barnet's new "local service centres" (LSCs), he said: "We have to ask why the council is located in three places scattered around the borough and if that is appropriate."

A pilot LSC office, providing advice and information on services such as housing benefit, is planned for West Hendon Broadway. If successful, the service would be extended to the rest of the borough.

Mr Williams admitted the current set-up, with three major offices, was not necessarily economical.

He promised it would be reviewed under a public consultation of council property.

He denied the closure of Barnet House, which has housed 1,000 council staff since the Sixties, would decimate Whetstone town centre.

Previously owned by Ever Ready batteries, it was immediately dubbed 'Never Ready' house after the council moved in.

Barnet recently renegotiated a 30-year lease on the office block, which was designed by the same architect as the listed Centre Point building in London.

"If Barnet does move on, it will be on the basis that we have sold the lease to another company who would be moving in," said Mr Williams. "There would be no big impact because it would be swapping like for like."

Proposals, unveiled at the council's policy conference meeting on Thursday last week won the backing of Tory councillors.

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