East Lothian Council to pay nearly £50,000 to rent back own office space

A council is to pay nearly £50,000 a year to rent back office space in its own building after handing over management of it to a charity.

East Lothian Council has agreed a ten-year lease of offices in the Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh, at an annual cost of £47,560, to house staff from the town’s Brunton Hall, which is facing demolition.

Control of the community centre was handed to the Fisherrow Trust last year after the local authority agreed a 99-year lease of the whole building with the charity.

Now, a report to elected members has revealed that they have signed a deal to use some of its offices for their own staff.

The report says the move is part of work to relocate staff working in the Brunton, which saw its main theatre close over two years ago after the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in its roof panels.

The results of a public consultation on the future of the building are expected to go before councillors later this month, with demolition one of the options being considered.

The report to members said the council’s justice social work team currently works in the hall and needs to move to alternative accommodation that is larger and more central to the department’s needs.

It said: “Space within the Fisherrow Centre located on South Street in Musselburgh has been identified as suitable space for the needs of justice social work.

“Fisherrow Community Centre is owned by the council and leased to Fisherrow Trust on a 99-year lease. Fisherrow Trust has agreed to relocate current tenants occupying an area of the building, and to lease it to the council, allowing the council to carry out appropriate fit-out works to provide an operational office specification, which can only be accessed by Justice Social Work via secure entry doors.”

The agreement involves leasing 4014 square feet of office space for ten years with a review in five years’ time.