Richmond Council headquarters set for £9.3m upgrade to improve facilities and cut carbon emissions
Richmond Council is pressing ahead with a major revamp of its headquarters, as it plans to up the scheme's budget to £9.3million.
The council is upgrading and decarbonising Twickenham Civic Centre, where its services are based, in two phases.
The project marks the council's commitment to occupying its headquarters for the foreseeable future.
The first phase of the scheme, which began in June 2022, saw the council move partner organisations into the centre – including children's services contractor Achieving for Children (AfC), from its base on 42 York Street, Richmond and Wandsworth Better Service Partnership and other community organisations.
This phase was completed in April 2023.
The council then appointed consultants to redesign the centre to deliver the second phase of the scheme.
This phase will complete the centre's transformation into a 'refurbished, multi-use building', providing council, AfC and community services, by upgrading its facilities.
A new report by council officers outlines the plans, which include changing the layout of the centre's ground floor and redecorating to provide new and improved workspaces.
The centre will be adapted to cut carbon emissions with the removal of its existing gas boiler, the installation of LED lighting and other electrical upgrades.
Remaining AfC services currently operating out of 91 Queen's Road are set to move into the headquarters' York House Annex under the plans, allowing the vacated building to be sold off to generate roughly £1m.
The plans include moving other services provided at York Cottage and the Registrars Block into the centre, with alternative uses for these buildings to then be explored.
The report recommends the council's finance committee approve outline plans for the second phase of the scheme and agree to add £460,000 to the project's existing budget of £8.8m – bringing it up to £9.3m.
The committee will vote on these recommendations on 28 April.
The report said: "The civic centre is one of the higher energy consuming corporate buildings so decarbonisation helps reduce both the carbon footprint of the building as well as reducing energy consumption and associated costs."
It added: "The project enables the upgrade to the workspace and layout of the building, benefitting staff and improving the customer experience for residents.
"Consolidation of the estate provides income and savings opportunities through the creation of a VCS [voluntary and community sector] workspace model and commercial opportunities with external partners."
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