PROPERTY: Council's £34m civic suite vision

The vision is part of the 750 million pound Masterplan, the blueprint for the city centre over the next 20 years, and a possible location at the site of the city's market at Laxton Square has already emerged.

The suite, which would require an estimated floor area of more than 200,000sq ft, would replace the town hall in Bridge Street and other council offices such as those at Bridge House.

But it could be linked with council offices at Bayard Place, in Broadway, which was recently bought by the authority in an 8.25 million pound deal.

Today, David Dawson, head of finance at the council, said building the civic suite at the site of the current market would give it easy access to Bayard Place.

He said: "There is reference to a civic suite in the city centre Masterplan. It is an aspiration for some time in the future.

"Bridge House might be involved with the South Bank development of the Masterplan, so we may lose the use of that, and the town hall is getting a bit old. There are potential benefits of having everyone in the same place."

A proposed single civic suite, which would be built in the next 10 to 15 years, will be discussed by members of the city council's cabinet at a meeting at the town hall on Monday.

Councillors will be asked to agree a recommendation to retain the freehold of Bayard Place, rather than selling it on and taking a long lease of the building.

A report to be put before members says: "The retention of the Bayard Place freehold will contribute to and/or enhance any future consideration for the development of a single civic suite."

Bayard Place, which houses about 550 council staff, was purchased as part of a review of Peterborough City Council buildings.

The city council's former head of property services, the late Tony Chapman, estimated the deal would save the council an estimated 17 million pounds during the next 20 years.

The offices house a number of council departments, which provide residents with a range of vital services, including education and children's, community, corporate and property. The council bought the property from London-based Hemmingway Properties.