Councillors in hard hats and 'no-go areas' as new HQ hosts first meeting

£19M OAK HOUSE IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

"NO-GO" areas being blocked off and a lack of drinkable tap water were among the issues as Nottinghamshire County Council’s new £19 million headquarters had its first meeting.

Councillors met at Oak House near Hucknall yesterday, about two months before the site is completely finished.

Members of one opposition group turned up to Thursday's meeting in hi-vis jackets and hard hats to highlight the site’s lack of completion.

Construction workers at the site were told to stop working for the day so the meeting could go ahead.

The Conservatives running the county council claim Oak House will be one of the most “cost-effective buildings in the country” and will bring services closer to more people.

Yet both opposition parties at the county council say they could end up ditching Oak House as the authority's HQ if they end up taking charge.