First meeting in district council’s new Horncastle headquarters

Senior East Lindsey district councillors have held their first meeting at their new £7 million headquarters in Horncastle.

The authority’s Executive committee discussed their budget overview, along with council tax support and commercial waste services at the Mareham Road facility on Wednesday.

The hub building has been built in partnership with Boston College, who have already been using it since November in order to fill a learning and skills gap.

Council leader Craig Leyland told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s been a long time to get to this point but there’s been a tremendous amount of work done by our teams to get to this site, to build it, and to make it operational so we’re really proud to be here.”

He said members had, however, been sad to leave Tedder Hall in Manby which the council has occupied for a number of years.

“A lot of people realised the history and the buildings have served us well.

“We made a bit more of the [last] meeting with recollections about the history of the place.

“So obviously, a tinge of sadness, but also recognising that we’re opening a new set up sort of era for the council in this new premises.”

It cost just over £7 million with £1.2 million coming from from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership funding the college.

In order to fund the building and recouperate some of the costs Tedder Hall and Skegness Town Hall have both been sold to private developers – though what will happen to them isn’t yet known.

Leaders said both buildings had served the council well but had high maintenance and energy costs which were expected to cost the council even more to maintain in the coming months and years.

Moving to Horncastle also provides the council with a central base in the district, said leaders.

The energy efficiencies at the Hub mean the move will be cost neutral to the council in around eight years.

Staff will start to work from the hub on January 23, 2023.

It will also be occupied by partner company, PSPS who provide Customer contact, IT, HR, Finance, and Revenue and Benefit services.

The Hub is one of a number of sites council employees will operate from with other desks available in Skegness, Mablethorpe and Louth.

Staff with also be able to work from home or from partner offices depending on their role.