Rutland County Council yet to put offices up for sale

Five months on from a decision to look at selling off its headquarters, Rutland County Council is yet to put the building on the market.

The authority announced in April that due to rising energy costs, pressure on the authority’s finances and the cost of maintenance, it was considering selling off former mansion Catmose House and possibly building new offices on the nearby county museum site.

However months after the cabinet, which is led by Coun Gale Waller (Lib Dem), made the decision, the building, which is Grade II listed, is yet to go up for sale.

A council spokesperson said: "Our Corporate Asset Strategy aims to make best use of the various buildings that are owned by Rutland County Council. A number of these properties are old or listed buildings that were never designed for their current use. They’re expensive to operate and maintain and can make it harder for the council to deliver services.

“Cabinet in April gave approval to market Catmose House, Ashwell Cottage and Ashwell Business Units for disposal, subject to a review of business plans and technical advice needed to develop and consider all possible options. This work remains ongoing – the council is still considering its options and no buildings have been placed on the market yet.

“The former Jules House building in Oakham has been transferred to the council’s Levelling Up programme, to facilitate delivery of a new community asset. However, the building remains under the ownership of Rutland County Council.”

While the cabinet agreed in the spring to market the property, the authority has said it is likely that if it did get a buyer and decided to sell it would need further approval from the cabinet to go ahead with the disposal.