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Council completes landmark move to cost saving, green, energy efficient new home

Published: Tuesday, 11 July 2023

  • Oadby & Wigston Borough Council has officially completed its relocation from Bushloe House in Wigston to Brocks Hill in Oadby
  • The new office will allow the council to make huge financial savings in coming years, while also offering modern, green and energy-efficient home for employees
  • The new office has a drop-in reception area to complement new bookable customer service appointment hubs in all three borough towns
  • Popular local operator Jenno’s will run new public coffee house and this is due to open in early September
  • Brocks Hill Country Park is open as usual, as has been the case throughout the renovation work.

Oadby & Wigston Borough Council (OWBC) has completed its cost saving move to downsized office space at Brocks Hill Country Park.

Its staff have now started working from the greener, energy-efficient and cost-effective renovated building at Brocks Hill, leaving behind their aging premises at Bushloe House in Wigston.

The council estimates the new efficiencies will save around £2 million over the next ten years while also substantially reducing the council’s carbon footprint. The move also commits the council to an agile working model that proved hugely successful during the Covid-19 pandemic, giving its staff more flexibility in where they work.

Crucially, the proceeds of the sale of the council’s current home Bushloe House – which is currently under offer – has covered the majority of the cost of renovation work done at Brocks Hill.

The council has also revealed that popular local firm Jenno’s will operate the public café at Brocks Hill. Jenno’s Coffee House already has a premises in Leicester Road, Blaby and at Everards Meadows in Leicester.

Jenno’s expect to open their coffee house for business in early September. The building’s public toilets will re-open at the same time.

The renovated council office at Brocks Hill has a drop-in reception point where customers can receive basic advice, book to see council officers face to face at town centre appointment hubs and hand in forms and documents. This is open with immediate effect on weekdays between 9.15am and 4.15pm (with a 30-minute lunch closure at 12pm)

The council’s face to face appointments were announced in Spring and are easily booked by contacting the council on 0116 288 8961. Appointments are arranged at one of the following locations:

  • Elliott Hall, South Wigston on Tuesdays between 9am and 12pm
  • Trinity Methodist Church, Oadby on Wednesdays between 10am and 1pm
  • King’s Centre, Wigston on Thursdays between 1pm and 4pm.

Cllr Samia Haq, Leader of OWBC, said: “Making this move was a huge decision for this council, but we could clearly see the long term benefits that this brings to both residents of the borough and employees of the council.

“We’re setting a clear example that we are willing to be innovative and creative to save taxpayer money while at the same time providing a better working experience for our staff. Equally important is the environmental benefits of us cutting our carbon footprint and working out of this modern, energy efficient building.

“For our customers too, we now have face-to-face appointments available in all three of our town centres, as well as a reception point for basic tasks at Brocks Hill itself.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have struck a deal with Jenno’s for them to run the café here. They are a big local name with an excellent reputation and we are sure their coffee house will bring new visitors to this wonderful country park.”

Paul Jenno, of Jenno’s Coffee House, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen by OWBC for the hospitality opportunity at Brocks Hill Country Park.

“We aspire to repay their faith in us by creating a high quality, friendly and clean coffee house capable of satisfying the needs of park visitors and local visitors that fancy a stroll and a coffee.”