Education and social work staff to move to Dundee House and Dudhope Castle

Social work and education premises are to be moved as part of Dundee City Council’s cost-cutting measures.

Over 300 people will relocate to the authority’s new headquarters at Dundee House in the city centre and Dudhope Castle. Three properties — the social work offices at Balmerino Road and Douglas House, and education offices at the former St Columba’s School — have been deemed “uneconomic” and will be demolished.

The council hopes to collect almost £135,000 after demolition costs from the sale of the land, which has an estimated value of £854,620.

The report, which was compiled by director of city development Mike Galloway, said the closure of the properties would not hit the “delivery of local services within these communities.”

The council’s social work offices in Market Street and Castle Street will return to their former use as commercial properties, with the aim of raising further funds. A total of 178 staff will move into Dundee House in July, with Dudhope Castle taking in the remaining 155 employees in September.

The authority hopes to save a total of £450,000 in running costs with the closure of the five properties. Dudhope Castle will cost an estimated £98,500 to run annually.

The report says working from a common base to support vulnerable children and young people will create “closer joint working and easier communication” and added, “Joint and multi-agency meetings will be easier to organise and arrange at short notice to meet both emerging and crisis intervention needs of children, young people and families.”

The report ends by saying the chief executive, depute chief executive (support services), director of finance and assistant chief executive have been consulted and are in agreement with its contents.

A spokesman for the authority said, “The council is continually reviewing its property needs in order to better manage its assets. The current proposals flow from this.”