Council prepares for Wick office flit

Temporary accommodation until new £8 million office is ready

HIGHLAND COUNCIL is ready to move from its base in Market Place in Wick to temporary accommodation in nearby Girnigoe Street in preparation for the £8 million redevelopment of the Market Place site as modern council office accommodation.
Offices in Market Place, including the Service Point, will close on Friday 18 January at 3pm and relocate to Government Buildings, Girnigoe Street. 80 staff are involved in the move.
All business currently undertaken at the Market Place will continue at Girnigoe Street from Monday 21 January. The Service Point will open at 9.30 am.
The existing telephone lines will be discontinued from the date of the move.
New numbers are as follows:
01349 886606 General enquiries
01349 886601 Roads and street lighting
01349 886602 House repairs, applications and rent enquiries
01349 886603 Domestic special uplifts and bins, abandoned vehicles, fly tipping, dog fouling and pest control
01349 886604 Blue badge, travel and national entitlement cards
01349 886605 Make a payment by debit or credit card
01349 886608 ePlanning
01349 886657 Election helpline
01955 609524 Registration of births deaths and marriages.
Local contractor Gerry Henderson has carried out works valued at £40,000 to prepare the Girnigoe Street premises for their temporary use by the Council.
The Council has also awarded a contract to Morgan Sindall to carry out the redevelopment of Market Place. This will see demolition of the old listed building at Market Place and refurbishment/restoration of the adjoining, Stafford Place Buildings, retaining the listed façade, to accommodate 140 Council staff currently based in a number of offices in Wick.
The new building will be built on three floors to the front and two floors at the rear.
When the new Council offices open, staff presently based at High Street (Social Work) and Rhind House (Education Culture and Sport) will move there.
A separate contract is also being progressed for the refurbishment of Wick Town Hall, including installation of a lift to make it fully accessible.
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