All change as pounds 4m flagship unveiled; Council plan for shake-up of offices.

Byline: Deborah James

HUNDREDS of staff are to be relocated as part of a major reorganisation of council offices in Sefton.

The borough's planning and housing offices in Vernon House are to be demolished to make way for a ``flagship'' pounds 4m office building at the entrance to Bootle regeneration area.

The 1960s eyesore, which has major structural problems, will be replaced by a plush new glass-fronted South Sefton Investment Centre on Stanley Road. It is the second futuristic building due to be completed in the area by 2005.

The government's Healthand Safety Executive, which employs 1,500 staff in five offices across South Sefton, is being relocated to a pounds 54m office block under construction in St Albans Road. More than 50 staff from the planning and rent collection departments at Vernon House will be relocated to Balliol House at Bootle Town Hallin early 2004.

Land at Stanley Road will be sold to South Sefton Development Trust, which is being formed to take over regeneration body the South Sefton Partnership in 2007. Staff from Balloil House will be moved to the new HSEbuilding, which will free up hundreds of office places in five council buildings.

Harry Hurst, sustainable prosperity programme manager for SSP, said: ``It is all part of a massive reorganisation caused by the new HSE building.

``There will be no redundancies, it is just a shifting about of staff as buildings become vacant.''

Liverpool based architects Building Design Partnership won the contract to build the SouthSefton Investment Centre last week.

A North West judging panel were unanimous in their decision to commission BDP.

The new building is being seen as a key project in regeneration planned for the area by South Sefton Partnership and Atlantic Gateway.

Professor Fred Mahoney, Atlantic Gateway vice-chairman, said: ``This project is a major element of the regeneration of Bootle and so the selection of the right design has taken careful consideration.''

BDP's design will create 30,000 sq ft of new office accommodation in a building of four-five storeys, with car parking for 59 vehicles.

The building will provide ``flexible'' office space, with a mixed-use area including a 2,500 sq ft area for acafe. It will house around 3 0pc public sector offices,including the council's economic regeneration team, Greater Merseyside Enterprises and Sefton Chamber of Commerce, and 70pc private rented offices.

It will also feature several smaller office ``penthouse'' suites and meeting rooms, a transparent glass facade and colonnaded walkway.

Terry Davenport, project director for BDP Liverpool, said: ``BDP's Liverpool office sees the project as a significant opportunity to design and deliver a new striking building within the emerging Bootle Town Centre Masterplan.''

Bootle MP Joe Benton welcomed the news and said: ``All the research shows that there is going to bealot of investment in south Sefton in coming years.

``Coupled with the award of the city of culture which is going to have far reaching effects, the future is looking very bright.

``A building like this is really a declaration of confidence for regeneration in the future.''

Building work on the SSIC will start in January and is expected to take 12 months to complete.

The SSIC project is being funded with cash from South Sefton Partnership,Atlantic Gateway,The Northwest Development Agency and Objective1.

CAPTION(S):

PLAN: The pounds 4m office block