CONWY Council has moved a step closer to putting its Grade II listed headquarters up for sale.

Conwy Council agreed to spend £255,000 to re-evaluate their estate – a process that looks likely to see the council’s Bodlondeb base being placed on the market.

At a finance scrutiny meeting, a committee of councillors voted to back a “one-office strategy” report.

Once Bodlondeb is closed, the plan is to centralise staff at Conwy’s flagship Coed Pella building in Colwyn Bay, with an aim to regenerate the town.

But while the move could benefit Colwyn Bay, it is feared the sale could be detrimental to Conwy.

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Conwy councillor Sian Grady said placing Bodlondeb on the market could lead to the building falling into disuse and disrepair, like the former Civic Hall, which has been closed for years. The Civic Hall, and former library, is still owned by Conwy, but the development is awaiting the submission of a planning application from Nautical Point Limited to turn it into  a food hall, restaurant, and 15-room “aparthotel”.

Cllr Grady said: “The reason I’m concerned is that we’ve still got the Civic Hall going after all these years. We still haven’t got a decision on that. It hasn’t come to a conclusion. It is gradually falling apart, and my worry is that Bodlondeb will go the same way.”

Conwy’s estates manager Bleddyn Evans replied: “Yes, it is a risk; however, I guess they are two different animals in terms of the Civic Hall, Conwy, and Bodlondeb from a marketability or commercial element, let alone the planning element as well. But obviously we would be cognizant in terms of lessons learned from the Civic Hall experience, and obviously we would be very careful and how we deal with Bodlondeb, and hopefully wouldn’t repeat similar issues there, which are issues outside of our control.”

But that response failed to reassure cllr Grady:  “I understand it (Bodlondeb) is more commercially viable (than the Civic Hall) obviously and planning is slightly different but not really because it is still in exactly the same ward with the castle and everything else that comes into it. “I know it’s slightly different because it’s outside the town walls, but it’s still has exactly the same planning regulations that will go against it and the public as well, and we still may well still encounter a lot of the same problems over the years, which deteriorates the building even more.”

Cllr Nigel Smith backed the proposal to centralise the office estate: “We now have a spectacular Coed Pella office there that accommodates our staff, bringing footfall into that fabulous town of Colwyn Bay, with our officers spending money locally, bolstering the economy there. It is a win-win.

Council leader Charlie McCoubrey added: “We have an opportunity to consolidate and drive those costs down and get a capital receipt from this building. The longer we delay doing that, the less of a saving there will be.”

Councillors voted to nominate Cllr Andrew Wood to represent the committee on the project board. The committee also voted in favour of the cabinet approving a capital budget of £255,000 to develop the full business case, to be funded from capital reserves. A final decision will be made at a future cabinet meeting.