A COUNCIL’S £10million HQ has been branded a ‘white elephant’ after a heating failure left authority chiefs having to fork out for new gas boilers.

Wyre Forest House, in Finepoint Way, Kidderminster, was opened in October 2012 ready to house more than 200 district council workers as well as private companies renting out space in the building.

When it was unveiled, Wyre Forest District Council hailed the building and said it would save £500,000 a year in running costs in areas such as energy efficiency while also eliminating the cost of renting satellite offices for staff.

But bosses have now admitted that Wyre Forest House’ ground source heat pump system has failed to work properly since the building opened, forcing them to spend thousands on keeping staff warm on temporary electric heaters until two gas boilers are fitted in the coming weeks.

Authority chiefs are currently in protracted discussions with contractor Thomas Vale and project managers Rider Levett Bucknall to resolve the issue.

The council said it was unable to provide a cost of installing the gas heaters until the work had been completed but leader Councillor Marcus Hart said the project would remain within the original approved £10m budget.

He did confirm that the authority has spent more than £11,800 to provide temporary heating for staff since September 22 last year.

Councillor Michael Wrench, leader of Wyre Forest UKIP who campaigned against the opening of Wyre Forest House, called the situation a “scandal” and has asked the authority’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee to investigate.

He said: “There was very strong public opposition to this being built in the first place and, in February 2011, UKIP collected over 3300 signatures in just 10 days opposed to the council spending £10m on a building that was not needed.

“It was supposed to save £500,000 a year and this was to include an underground heating system which would make a huge input into the savings. But this has never worked properly from day one.

“It is a scandal. They are having to spend on two gas boilers which will also incur costs to run and were never part of the great plan of it being energy efficient. But it will now burn a fossil fuel to heat the building.

“There have been negotiations taking place over two years, but in the meantime taxpayers are having to fund this big mistake with the heating.”

“This building is not what it was sold as. We are stuck with a white elephant.”

Cllr Hart, said: “Wyre Forest House has saved over £500,000 a year for the council and this has helped to protect front line services that community’s value. "The income we are generating from major tenancies in the spring will increase the level of savings yet further.

“However the ground source heat pump system has not worked fully effectively since the Council took up occupancy of the building in 2012.

“It is right for staff, members, other users of the building and the public that we are resolving this important outstanding issue.

“The decision has been taken to install two gas boilers to supplement the ground source heat pump, so that there are comfortable working temperatures over the winter months.”