ABOUT half the staff working for Swindon Council could soon be relocated in a £500,000 project to boost efficiency and look at how the council uses office space.

The council is considering plans, including the closure of Stanford House, the demolition of some huts and outdated office space, and the refurbishment of other office space.

Cabinet was set to approve to project on Wednesday but the decision was put on hold after Unison tabled a last-minute list of concerns which need to be addressed.

An estimated 800 staff would be relocated in the project, which would cost £521,000 but would save £93,000 annually, including £50,000 through consolidating business administration support functions.

Swindon Council says the relocation stems from the Stronger Together reorganisation, which means there is more empty space due to staff cuts, and also means the location of many remaining staff no longer reflects either their new team structure or the colleagues with whom they are now working to redesign and deliver services.

Council leader Rod Bluh said: “There’s a £90,000 cost saving attached to it so, in terms of invest-to-save, it washes its face.

“It’s £251,000 and we’ve an annual £90,000 cost saving against that so you can justify it in terms of that.

“But this is not just about cost saving, this is about making sure people are much more centrally located, so they can talk to each other, engage in much smarter working.

“If you haven’t got the right people in the right place having the right conversations, you aren’t going to get the right policy coming forward.”

The relocation, planned to start on July 20 and end in February 2013, would mean nearly all council staff would be on the main civic campus.

Capita staff currently on the first floor of Wat Tyler West would be relocated to the first floor of Clarence House, which would be refurbished.

This in turn would allow Children Services staff at Sanford House to move into Wat Tyler West.

Sanford House would be vacated in December. The council has not yet decided the future of Sanford House, but says a number of voluntary and community groups have expressed an interest in using it as a one-stop shop.

A dedicated centre for directors within Wat Tyler West would be created, although chief executive Gavin Jones will stay in the Civic Offices.

The present office provision within the Civic Annex would be vacated and staff located to Wat Tyler House, enabling the demolition of the older part of the Civic Annex.

The staff refreshment facility, prayer room and union office would be relocated into the newer part of the Civic Annex, enabling hut eight to be demolished.

And the storage use currently in hut seven would relocate into the newer part of the annex, allowing its demolition.

Unison said it had launched a campaign to prevent the council from removing trade union activists employed within the council and has criticised the proposals to spend £1.3m on consultants, while dismissing its own staff.

Joanne Kaye, Unison south west regional secretary said: “It is an absolute scandal that at a time of cutting jobs, frontline services and removing a trade union voice, the council will instead spend £1.3m on private consultants – people who will be unaccountable to the local electorate and will only have their own commercial interests at heart.”

The union said it would lobby the council meeting at 6pm on July 19 and expected union delegations from across the region to attend in support.