By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
The “complex” sale of Cheltenham’s Municipal Offices will not be affected by the recent decision to reorganise local government in Gloucestershire, council leaders say.
The iconic landmark in the Promenade has been the home of Cheltenham Borough Council for more than 110 years. But the local authority decided to put the grade II*-listed building up for sale in September 2024.
In May last year, council chiefs entered negotiations with preferred buyer Almiranta Capital Ltd who have plans to transform it into a luxury 125-room hotel with a spa and event, banqueting and conference space.
However, questions have been raised over these negotiations and what the future of the site will be amid a report earlier this year that more council staff had been relocated to the Municipal Offices.
Former Conservative councillor Emma Nelson asked the specific duration for the exclusivity agreement the borough council has with Almiranta Capital Ltd. And she also wanted to know when more details on plans to finally vacate the premises would be provided.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Peter Jeffries (Springbank), who is responsible for finance and assets at the council, explained it is a “complex” property transaction due to the unique “nature, scale and significance” of the building and “the wider economic and political environment continues to evolve”
He said the exclusivity period runs until December 4, this year. And this was requested to give the preferred bidder enough time to complete the technical due diligence required to progress the scheme.
This includes surveys and reports needed to inform detailed drawings, costings and the programme, he added.
“The council therefore needs to allow the preferred bidder sufficient time to complete its work, while also continuing to protect the council’s position.
“For that reason, the council cannot give a definitive date for vacating the premises until there is greater certainty about the outcome of the sale process and the associated programme.”
He also said that in parallel they are taking a “proactive approach” in identifying potential options, reviewing current office use, decluttering and reorganising space to support more efficient use and allow a smoother transition, if needed.
However, he said it would not be appropriate to disclose the council’s potential relocation options prematurely, as doing so could have unintended consequences for the town centre economy, the wider market and the council’s negotiating position.
Mrs Nelson asked a follow-up question at the council meeting on July 20 about what impact the decision to merge the county council and district councils to create a single Gloucestershire Council would have on the future of the offices.
“Given this administration’s preference to have two unitary authorities, largely one centred in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester, and Cheltenham naturally emerging as one of the urban centres, how will last week’s confirmation that we will have a single unitary authority, likely to be centred around Shire Hall, Gloucester, impact the borough council’s vacation of the Muni?”
Councillor Jeffries said there is an ongoing conversation around local government reorganisation. “Moving forward, the sale of these offices will happen,” he said.
He said where the new authority decides to base its offices will be down to them.