STAFF have been told to expect improved working conditions when they move into the new council offices as part of the £142.5 million Time Square scheme.

Up to 1,200 employees based at offices at New Town House and Quattro, The Base, Rylands Street, Museum Street and Contact Warrington will begin moving to the site in the heart of the borough from February next year.

The process is expected to take two to three months in total.

The offices will have a lower ground floor and ground floor – as well as floors one, two and three each with open plan office space.

Warrington Guardian:

How the reception area could look

There are proposed to be 800 workstations across the three floors, each with kitchens and a dedicated ‘breakout’ space.

Gareth Hopkins, the council’s assistant director for customer and business transformation, delivered an update to the organisational improvement and development policy committee on Tuesday and confirmed senior figures will not have their own office.

He said: “Nobody will have an office there.

“There are a lot of offices currently in New Town House, a number of managers currently have offices.”

Warrington Guardian:

An artist's impression of the atrium

The ground floor will be home to the reception, meeting and conference suite and registrars.

And the offices are due to be fitted with 30 meeting rooms – with iPads to be installed outside rooms to display the booking schedule.

Overall, the council says there will be a ratio of around seven desks to every 10 employees in the site.

The planned ‘hot desking’ has been one of the main issues highlighted by staff.

Warrington Guardian:

How the site could look from Academy Way

But Mr Hopkins confirmed most services are likely to be allocated zones to ensure people in the same department are close to each other.

Councillors were also informed that building work for the development remains on schedule.

Mr Hopkins said: “It is important to note that this is part of a wider scheme, so any changes to the wider Time Square scheme impact on us.

“At the moment, we are in a good place.”

Warrington Guardian:

Building work on the site remains on schedule

But Cllr Andrew Hill asked whether staff being ‘territorial’ about spaces has the potential to cause some issues.

Mr Hopkins said: “It is about etiquette.

“We are trying not to have rules, we want to have etiquette from people here.”

The senior officer also said employees will ‘get better than what they have currently got’.

Warrington Guardian:

The offices are a key part of the Time Square scheme

Mr Hopkins added: “New Town House and Quattro isn’t too bad but if you go and have a look in Rylands Street, the conditions staff are working in, it is not great.”

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But he insists people will not be ‘forced’ to work from home to ensure enough spaces are available, adding the authority has thoroughly ‘worked through the numbers’.

Some officers are expected to work from home frequently, with others employed on a part-time basis.

Although the Time Square project was priced at £142.5 million at its latest estimate, the authority has been unable to confirm how much the new council offices will cost.