TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are being recommended to approve a £6, 993,154 scheme to amalgamate the borough council’s existing depots on a single site.
The scheme would result in the closure of the council’s School Brow depot in July 2019, enabling the site to be sold for between £2m and £3m.
All depot services would be transferred to the existing Woolston Depot which would be extended and re-developed, bringing it up to present-day standards and enabling efficiencies when compared with having services on different sites.
The new facility would be ready for use around May 2019.
During the construction phase it would be necessary to temporarily relocate some existing services at Woolston.
Officers are making the recommendation to the council’s executive board next Monday.
A report by Cllr Hans Mundry, lead member for highways, transportation and public realm, indicates that officers have considered three options – doing nothing other than minor repairs as necessary, refurbishing both existing depots and strategic replacement – amalgamating services on a single site.
The “no nothing” option was considered inappropriate as existing facilities do not meet present day standards. Refurbishment would cost about £1 m but would not provide a long term solution.
In fact, it is estimated that the net cost to the council of providing the new facility at Woolston would be £47,000 a year – less than the £60,000 a year cost of refurbishing both sites.
