Opposition councillors in Gateshead support potentially selling off the near-abandoned "Mary Celeste" civic centre as council bigwigs debate the future of the facility.
Council documents have recently revealed that desk occupancy within the local authority's HQ, on Regent Street, has "plummeted" and at most a mere 480 out of a total of 2,250 desks are used on average. The running costs for the centre are estimated between £1.2m and £1.4m a year.
These empty desks have largely been attributed to hybrid working.
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The report on the future of the centre recommends investment to attract organisations to rent out the available space. According to council officer Sandra Watson, a potential "perfect tenant" with 300 employees recently expressed interest in using part of the building.
However, the organisation has deferred its decision on whether to follow through. The deferment was described as "frustrating" by Ms Watson but she later commented a deal with the organisation was "not off the cards".
Leader of the Gateshead Liberal Democrats, coun Ron Beadle, said: "Our Group's view is that all office-based employees should be in work on at least two days a week with one of these being a common day for each Department so that they can hold in-person meetings. This would bring more of the Civic Centre back into use.
"It would also be better for the Council's culture and decision-making and it would ensure that new staff are properly inducted and get to know their new colleagues. We have asked for the Council's 'Working from Home' policy to be reviewed by the Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee in next year's work programme.
"All buildings have costs and we support the officer's approach of keeping everything under review with all options open. This includes the possibility of selling the Civic Centre should market testing show that there might be buyers and appropriate uses. We should only keep Council Buildings when they are serving a proper purpose."
Labour councillors also expressed concern about the future of the building and are worried about how hybrid working is affecting staff and subsequent public perceptions.
Mayor Dott Burnett said: "I know there is space for hybrid working but I have to say this building looks like a Mary Celeste at times and I think the perception is there is no one about here. I have been around most of the councils and they are back in work and there is a perception we are not back at work.
"There are social aspects to hybrid working as well. I have spoken to people in this building who have left or who are considering leaving because they feel when they come into work there isn't anyone there and they feel lonely, and they don't feel good. They go to a floor where there are just six people there and they don't feel like they are getting the working links that they had.
"There are places for hybrid working, of course, there are, but there is a case for having people here as well. I am not blaming anybody for that, that's the way people are working now, but there are instances where it just doesn't work.
"I have heard complaints in this building from people saying that they feel as if their soul has been taken away because they aren't working with anyone."
Lamesley Labour councillor Judith Turner requested more regular reports on the state and future of the civic centre to allow for future scrutiny by elected members.
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