COUNCIL workers in Doncaster are set to begin a brand new chapter after the first employees moved into the authority’s new £20 million offices.
A string of workers took up their new desks at the suite of offices in Waterdale which form part of the new civic and cultural quarter earlier this week.
Other departments will make the move from the Council House in nearby College Road and other Doncaster Council buildings such as Nether Hall in the town centre over the coming weeks.
The majority of staff are expected to be in place within the new office unit by the end of January.
Deputy Mayor of Doncaster, Coun Cynthia Ransome, said: “This is a major milestone.
“Over the next two months over 1,500 more staff will transfer into the new building which forms a central part of the wider Civic and Cultural Quarter regeneration scheme.”
The new building, which adjoins the still under-construction new performance venue Cast, includes a ‘one-stop-shop’ customer service centre where residents can complete their council business in one visit to one location.
The design of the new building means that the council will eventually be able to create annual savings of approximately £650,000 from not operating out of multiple inefficient and costly-to-maintain buildings.
ICT specialist Paul Gordon was one of the first to move in. As part of the team responsible for IT at the council, he has been working towards the move for over a year, updating software and installing new systems.
He said: “The great thing about the new offices is the ability for us to work more flexibly, using shared workstations. I also like the fact the offices are open plan as it encourages everyone to work more closely with other teams.”
The offices will open to the public on January 14.
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