Pickfords supported the East Lindsey District Council to move their office space to a new facility in Horncastle.
Background
East Lindsey District Council (The Council), is a local government authority in Lincolnshire, covering the towns of Alford, Wragby, Spilsby, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Horncastle, Chapel St Leonards and Louth.
Requirement
After two decades at Tedder Hall, a listed historic site, the council decided to move to 'The Hub,' a modern, eco-friendly space shared with Boston College in Horncastle. This new facility includes offices and a Council Chamber for official meetings.
New office furniture was required, as the existing pieces had been in use for two decades and would need disposing of in an environmentally friendly way.
The council attempted to repurpose some furniture with local government and Parish councils but due to its age and condition, recycling proved the better choice.
Solution
Pickfords was appointed to relocate the Council to the Hub, situated 12 miles away.
A phased plan was created, to span three months, from November to January, which included;
- Moving the paper files stored at Tedder Hall to the Hub, which involved dismantling the roller racking units and managing the records
- Relocating the paper files securely, whilst ensuring easy retrieval
- Clear the existing office furniture at Tedder Hall and arrange the recycle or reuse of it.
Despite the enormity of the administrative resources, records, and furniture, the project required seamless execution within a tight timeframe, without disrupting Council services.
Meticulous planning was crucial to ensure smooth logistics and resource coordination.
Each phase's order was critical; for instance, files had to be removed from the racking before dismantling. This maintained accessibility to live files throughout the project.
Clearance of the furniture only began once the building was empty, starting in mid-January and concluding by month-end.
Due to the historical significance of the building, certain collectible vintage equipment, ornaments, and specialised furniture held potential value.
Therefore, Pickfords collaborated with their business auction partner, Ramco, to collect these items for subsequent online auction sales.
Approach to health and safety
All Pickfords staff allocated to this project were fully aware of and complied with the site rules of the Council for contractors working on-site.
Summary
The relocation of racking, filing and boxed desk contents commenced in mid-November, with all staff relocated by Christmas. During the entirety of the relocation, the live records were fully accessible to all Council staff.
The Council’s unwanted furniture was recycled and reused to offset the cost of the project; and the environmental disposal service Pickfords provided meant that the Council were compliant with its own environmental policy.
The Council was relocated to its new site within the timeframe and budget allocated.