Council staff on move in multi-million-pound deal

The council bought Queen Victoria House, a 1980s' office block on Alfred Gelder Street, in the city centre, from a private investor.

It will now refurbish the four-storey building before staff move in from their current base at Kenworthy House, in George Street, in the autumn.

The centre will allow people to pay their council bills, apply for bus passes and council housing, and report environmental problems under one roof.

The council will also relocate staff from other leased properties in the city centre to the upper floors.

Hull City Council said the team has outgrown its current accommodation which also lacks facilities that it wants to provide to customers.

It believes customers will benefit from the larger, more central location.

Dave Bennett, Hull City Council's property manager, said: "The customer services team will occupy the ground floor.

"This will also have a caf and break-out area for customers while they visit the customer service centre facility.

"The council also intends to base other services on the upper floors of Queen Victoria House to complement the customer service centre.

"The aim will be to reduce the need for customers to visit several different council offices by housing as many services as possible at this single one-stop-shop location which customers regularly visit.

"It is going to be a big step forward in delivering an improved and more accessible service to the council's customers."

The Leeds office of property consultants King Sturge acted on behalf of the council.

Partner Jonathan Gale said: "This is, notably, a high-value public sector deal which secures an important and very prominent Hull city centre office building for public use.

"It is a good deal for Hull City Council which has acquired the right property in the right location and shows that good value deals are being done in East Yorkshire even in the tough economic climate."

Hull-based Scotts chartered surveyors, Alfred Gelder Street, acted for the landlord.