CALDERDALE Council bosses plan to slash the number of offices used by the authority.

They want to cut the number being used in Halifax from 11 to just three.

But they insist: "We are looking ahead".

Calderdale Council’s cabinet members this week backed the asset management review of Halifax town centre office provision.

And they said they were looking at investment and regeneration opportunities despite the austere times in a bid to keep staff in jobs and the town centre thriving.

Clr Tim Swift, speaking at the cabinet meeting, said: "I was in Scarborough at the weekend and the headlines there were that people weren’t happy the council was relocating out of the town centre and into an out of town office.

"We are staying in Halifax, the traders have nothing to worry about there unlike those in Scarborough."

The review shows that the council will reduce the Halifax buildings staff are based in from 11 to three.

Three town centre buildings, including the listed Princess Building, will be regenerated and Westgate House and Mulcture House will be retained.

And new Customer First facilities will be opened in the Broad Street Plaza.

The council will move out of Northgate House, Dean Clough, Horton House, Hoover Building, Park Road and the Elsie Whiteley Centre.

Clr Barry Collins, cabinet member for economy, said: "We are a council that is attempting to deal with the difficult situation around the savings required, but we are prepared to look to the future."

They said at the cabinet meeting the 25 year programme would reap savings of £25.5m, plus £1m a year thereafter.

It was revealed at the cabinet meeting that further savings and revenue generations could be made from the sale of buildings, but those costs had not been factored into the report.

The plans show that existing council premises at Westgate House would provide an increase in accommodation from 250 to 320. It would cost £1.56m to refurbish it.

The £7.2m refurbishment of the Princess Buildings would mean work space for 339 members of staff with 129 based at Mulcture House.

Other costs associated with the move, including separation of services to Northgate House and the library, take the figure to £11.8m.

Removal, storage and other changes tot up to an extra £588,000.

A new Halifax Customer First facility at Broad Street Plaza will have 52 workstations.

They would make use of The Shay for training and dispose of Northgate House.

The lease expiry at Dean Clough and Hoover Building in 2022 and 2018 respectively would form part of the savings, as well as the council leaving the Elsie Whiteley Centre.