Debate to be held over size of new Falkirk Council HQ and arts centre

Councillors are meeting on Tuesday to debate options which aim to strike a balance between providing enough office space for employees and creating an arts facility capable of generating revenue and, crucially, footfall in the town.

The report recommends they look at two choices which would allow for a 550-seat arts centre with shared studio spaces, a capacity representatives will hear would enable the town to attract a variety of performance types.

These would range from mainstream music acts like The Proclaimers and Eddi Reader to touring large-scale theatre productions such as The Steamie, as well as providing a platform for pantomimes, local dance school performances and musical theatre company shows.

Though both options would include a central hub for all front-facing services, they differ over the size and cost of the headquarters itself, with the first option offering a small HQ comprising 320 workstations and 35 touchdown spaces, costing £45.29 million in total.

All back offices would be replaced, with the exception of the forum, which would be retained and undergo a £2.2m refurbishment, while 235 council workstations at The Falkirk Stadium would also be retained and be upgraded at a cost of £1.5m.

The second option would see a medium-sized office HQ constructed, containing 500 workstations, 55 touchdown spaces and shared areas, at a total cost of £50.4 million.

This plan would replace all back offices and utilise all suites at the stadium, with 235 workstations for temporary and permanent moves allocated £1.5 million for upgrading.