Somerset County Council has today approved plans to vacate 40% of its office space as part of its property rationalisation programme.

The council’s cabinet today agreed unanimously to its Office of the Future Project, which aims to see up to 230,000 sq ft of council-owned offices vacated through introducing new working methods and sharing property with other public bodies.

A spokeswoman said the project would result in the sale of a number of the council’s freehold offices, which are currently occupied by more than 3,800 staff.

It could result in the sale of the 280,000 sq ft County Hall (pictured) in Taunton “as a last resort”, according to the spokeswoman.

As part of the rationalisation programme, which aims to reduce the council’s £400m debt, the cabinet also agreed on plans to review the entire council-owned farm estate, with a view to disposing of farms and land. It owns 60 farms on leases to private tenants and 33,400ha of farm land.

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