FALKIRK Council has invested £1.6 million to transform an empty shell under the main stand of the Falkirk Stadium into modern offices.
The stadium was built in 2003 as a joint venture between the council and Falkirk FC, with half of the first floor under the main stand – measuring 1,500 square meters – never being fitted out and the other half being ‘traditional’ office space described as ‘unsuitable’ for modern working.
For the past year, work has been underway to build open-plan offices under the main stand, in what the council said will provide a ‘bright’ and ‘modern’ working environment that better meets the needs of its employees.
It will also allow the local authority to sell the ‘outdated’ office space at Sealock House, Denny Town House, and Abottsford House. It explained that the ageing buildings were costly to operate, far bigger than what was required, and needed ‘substantial’ investment. The sales of the three buildings are to be used to offset the £1.6 million investment, it added.
Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of Falkirk Council, said, “Falkirk Council has too many buildings and many of them are not fit for purpose and cost too much money to operate. What is great about this project is that it takes a fantastic asset like The Falkirk Stadium and makes it even better, while also allowing the Council to dispose of the poor-quality buildings we no longer need.
“This move generates a saving to the council, reduces our carbon footprint and gives our staff and the public who visit them there a modern office space fit for the future.”
Councillor Paul Garner, spokesperson for economic development, added, “We learnt a lot from creating The Foundry office in Larbert and from other organisations. That experience informed much of what we’ve done to transform the stadium. Now we have two modern offices that are not only fit for purpose but also designed in such a way as to encourage collaboration across teams and with partners, which will only bring benefit to the Council as a whole.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team who delivered the office project. They’ve worked tirelessly to get us to this point and their hard work will benefit the organisation for decades to come. Not only does this work help us deliver on our promise to become more modern and efficient but also reflects our commitment to optimising resources and creating an environment that fosters collaboration and productivity.”
