Surrey Heath Borough Council could move into asbestos lined former shop

Surrey Heath Borough Council could close its headquarters and move into an asbestos lined former House of Fraser as it tries to clear £176m of debt.

The authority has launched a project to look into relocating its civic offices in Knoll Road, Camberley, with the vacant shop building being considered as a possible location.

The council bought the site in the town centre in 2016 for £18m.

The shop closed its doors in May and the lease ended in August.

Council leader Shaun Macdonald said the borough could be two years away from effective bankruptcy.

"It seems pretty obvious that the council has effectively an existential challenge because of just the sheer level of borrowing we've got," said Richard Wilson, Liberal Democrat councillor for Bagshot.

The former department store requires millions of pounds to refurbish - including removing asbestos - and is said to currently be worth just £2.9m.

The council said it has been working on alternative plans for the building.

This would include "complete modernisation and refurbishment, improved retail and hospitality areas, offices and community facilities such as health and civic uses," according to documents from a performance and finance scrutiny committee meeting on 13 September.

It said the asbestos was safe if it was not disturbed but "would need to be removed by specialist contractors as part of any future plans".

Surrey County Council's library may also move to the building if the plans go ahead, which could be as early as 2026.

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