Date set for demolition of council headquarters
LDRSThe demolition of an ageing council headquarters is expected to start in March 2027.
Durham County Council will leave its County Hall building at Aykley Heads, in Durham City, this summer, and temporarily relocate to other sites.
From September, full council meetings will take place at Spennymoor Leisure Centre until a brand new council chamber at the Rivergreen Centre at Aykley Heads is available, following a renovation of the site.
Committee meetings will be held across Salvus House, The Light and Green Lane in Durham, and Spennymoor Education Centre.
County Hall, which opened in 1963, is scheduled to close earlier than originally planned, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Staff and services are expected to be relocated by July, with the move estimated to save about £350,000 in building running costs, ongoing maintenance and repairs.
It would also speed up the development of the new Aykley Heads Innovation District, the council said.
Cabinet members and councillors part of the Reform-led local authority will relocate to the Rivergreen Centre, which it bought in 2023.
Opposition councillors will be temporarily relocated to the nearby Salvus House offices until February 2027.
