Lichfield District Council could move to a new home after a report admitted its current offices are “far greater than is required”.
The local authority is now looking to spend up to £50,000 drawing up an analysis of its needs.
The council’s Cabinet will hear the request for the funding at a meeting on October 10.
The current District Council House contains a number of buildings, including some dating back to 1862.
The report said the time was now right for the authority to assess its options for the future.
“As the council has begun to decrease in size, the workforce is much smaller and so is the space requirements, meaning the current office is far greater than is required,” the report explains.
“The nature of the building, with three listed sections along with an ageing extension, has led to high running costs.
“A desktop market assessment has shown that alternative provision could be available to more appropriately meet the ongoing needs of the council at a significantly reduced cost, while supporting modern and flexible working practices and cultural change.
“With decreasing demands and increasing costs, it appears appropriate to undertake a detailed assessment and options appraisal for our future office accommodation to ensure we obtain best value for the council and meet out ongoing needs.”
The District Council House site had been a Grammar School until 1903, with Lichfield Rural District Council buying it in 1917 when it was immediately taken over by the army until the end of the war.
A study by the local authority has revealed that its current staffing of 183 people would need office space of around 19,000sq ft – just over half of the current 37,417sq ft it has available.
The £50,000 for the full assessment would come from a reserve of £150,000 earmarked for maintenance work on the current District Council House.
Councillor Andy Smith, Cabinet member for corporate and customer services, told LichfieldLive that the report did not necessarily mean the local authority would move from its current home.
“In the current climate it’s right that we should consider, both independently and with partners, whether our existing property, including our offices on Frog Lane, meet the needs of our services and our customers.
“No decision has been made, we’re simply looking at the options available to us.”
If the funding is approved then a study would take place with the results expected at the start of 2018.
