Ageing Fareham Borough Council Civic Offices building faces £4.7m repair bill

A £4.7m repair programme has been approved to keep an ageing headquarters running as key parts of the building reach the end of their working life.

The Civic Offices in Fareham will undergo a series of upgrades over the next five years after a raft of issues were identified.

A report found the roof, windows, ventilation system, cooling equipment, building management system and lifts were in poor condition or approaching the end of their serviceable life.

Last month, members of Fareham Borough Council’s executive approved the five-year asset management plan.

This will carry a cost of £4.73m, including £4.33m of capital spending and £400,000 of revenue funding.

Conservative leader of the council Simon Martin said the authority had previously prioritised other spending across the borough.

He said: “We do now need to focus on the building, and it is an investment in the borough as the staff working at the civic offices bring in significant income for the council.

“With regard to local government reorganisation, there is no way of knowing when or even if this will happen. The civic offices will still be a key building for Fareham or any new council which may emerge.”

Council documents state that investment in the building “can no longer be reasonably deferred”.

However, a larger refurbishment programme estimated to cost more than £25m has been ruled out for now because of uncertainty surrounding local government reorganisation.

But the approved works are earmarked to be completed before any changes come into force, according to the local authority.

A council spokesperson said: “Any new unitary authorities would not be established until April 2029 at the earliest. The majority of the works identified in the plan are to be completed in advance of that date.”

The approved plan will focus on extending the life of some building components while replacing or upgrading others.

Proposed works include repairs to the roof, improvements to ventilation, replacement of the building management system, an overhaul of the lifts and refurbishment of the main toilets.

The most costly work is expected to be the improvements to the main toilets, with replacement drainage and refurbishment earmarked. The staircases are also set to be redecorated.

The council argued that the building remains “strategically important”, with an independent assessment finding it supports 366 direct on-site jobs, a further 33 jobs in the town centre and more than £45.5m in annual economic value.

Tenants within the building also generated more than £450,000 in income for the council during 2025/26.

The spokesperson added: “The council actively manages the Civic Offices to ensure that any health and safety concerns that arise are addressed in a timely manner, whether these are identified in surveys and inspections or otherwise.”