‘Like walking through treacle’: concern at progress on reducing number of council offices

AN ELECTED member says trying to make progress on reducing the number of offices Shetland Islands Council (SIC) has “feels like walking through treacle”.

Moraig Lyall said councillors have been asking for progress for a number of years.

“Everything that is suggested just seems to be pushed back further and further,” she told a meeting of the SIC’s policy and resources committee on Monday.

“It seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time to make any progress with this at all.”

Reducing the number of offices is one of a number savings proposals within the SIC.

A report said there are indications that parts of the office estate are “operating well below capacity”.

A report suggests reducing office space could bring in £1.5 million in capital receipts while saving an ongoing £200,000 a year in revenue.

Equipment to analysis occupancy of buildings has been bought by the council for £19,500.

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This will be used to assess “space utilisation” at the SIC’s 8 North Ness headquarters, but this is on hold until implications of an ongoing council restructure are clearer.

The idea of taking staff out of the large Hayfield House in Lerwick, the home children’s services, and turning the building into a housing development has previously been discussed as a possibility.

The report to councillors says data collection for Hayfield would take place between August 2027 and January 2028.

During questioning, assets, commissioning and procurement manager Robert Sinclair said the equipment bought by the council for analysis is planned to be used for 8 North Ness but not Hayfield House.

He said the work on Hayfield House is “more consultative”, looking at how the workflow of the building, and engaging with managers to assess “what degree of relocation is possible”.

Sinclair said the equipment is portable, so should be able to be used in other locations after the job at 8 North Ness is complete.

In debate, Lyall said reducing the number of offices could made considerable savings.

“We want the money that we’re spending to be going to the frontline services – into our schools, into our care services etcetera.

“Maintaining additional office space that we don’t require is not a good use of the money that we have.

“So I think making some more progress with this would be one the ways in which we could potentially reduce our burden as a council.”

Lyall also said the council would not want to be bringing buildings up to climate standards if they might be deemed surplus to requirements in a year or two.

The report also said that the proposal will “require the development of a hot desking policy, and a cultural shift to fully embrace remote working”.

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“For existing and potential employees with a preference for remote working, this will make the council a more attractive place to work,” it added.

The report said it would also have an impact on working arrangements for a number of staff and will need to be “carefully managed to minimise the disruption to staff and services”.

It also highlighted a risk that no buyer is found for a building once vacated.

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