Couples could tie knot in crime tsar’s office

Pacific Exchange, in High Street, was put up for sale by Matthew Grove shortly after he became police commissioner, with a guide price of £450,000.

Now the offices – described by Mr Grove as “an oak-panelled former gentleman’s club with deep carpet and leather Chesterfield sofas” – could become the new base for the city’s registrars, currently based at the Wilson Centre and the Guildhall.

The council, which is having to make £48m cuts in the next two years, warned last month that 400 jobs will have to go.

But Coun Colin Inglis yesterday claimed it “wasn’t a lot of money” and as it would come from the capital rather than revenue budget it wouldn’t impact on jobs or services.

He said: “We have been looking at other buildings for a potential registrars and this is an obvious choice.

“Once we do own it, it will be the best option for a registrars’ office, which will be separate and discrete.”

Coun Inglis said extra security had been put on to deal with “aggravation” at the Wilson Centre, where people can apply for council tax and housing benefit and those wanting to register a birth or death could do without “having to wade through that”.

He said: “You can say it is a terrible waste of public money but that’s not a lot of money for funding a registrars’ office.

“You wouldn’t get a decent detached house in the East Riding for that and more importantly it safeguards a very important building in the High Street.”

Coun Phil Webster said he and councillors Daren Hale and Steve Bayes believed it was a “good investment” – but would not be drawn on a future use.

“It gives us the option of running a service out of there, while we are doing building consolidation. But people do need to realise this is not money that could be spent on wages and services.”