ESSEX County Council has agreed to grant a lease to Essex Police to enable staff from Essex Police and the Safer Essex Roads Partnership to occupy space within Ely House on Churchill Avenue, Basildon

The council says this will re-use surplus office space within Ely House.

With increased flexible working through technology, Essex County Council has assessed that it only requires around 70 per cent of the previous capacity at Ely House.

Moves of Essex County Council staff have already taken place, meaning it has been possible to free-up a block suitable for Essex Police to relocate certain teams into a dedicated area which is suitable for their operational practices. It will also bring in the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) staff who are already Essex County Council staff within a partnership with Essex Police.

Essex County Council staff working within SERP have been based at Billericay Police station.

Due to the condition and layout of this accommodation a request was received from Essex Police to relocate these staff into the ECC estate. The arrangement is mutually convenient for both parties and uses spare space within the Essex County Council estate to best effect.

A statement as part of the decision agreed by Essex County Council said: "The decision is to enable Essex Police and staff from the Safer Essex Roads Partnership to occupy better quality office accommodation and to create financial and operational efficiencies in the use f the Essex County Council estate.

"The accommodation will provide more accessible accommodation than the present location at Billericay Police Station and will enable staff to operate more flexibly."

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "Essex Police are working collaboratively with Essex County Council and exploring options of re-locating staff under the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP).

"This falls in line with Essex Police's ongoing commitment to provide a modern, flexible and energy efficient estate, which enables officers, staff and volunteers to deliver an effective service and keep our communities safe."