Cornwall Council was criticised last month after it was revealed that it was spending a large amount of money upgrading its headquarters at a time when it is over £800-million in debt, on a financial precipice and making around 100 members of staff redundant.

A former leader of the council said carrying out the work at such a perilous time was an “absolute disgrace”.

The council were asked in December how much the work at Lys Kernow / County Hall, Truro, was costing but received no response. As a result, we made a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request to find the total price of the two-year project. The response has just been received … £11.6-million.

The work is to improve safety and energy efficiency in the listed council headquarters, which were officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in July 1966.

Last month it was revealed that the job losses will help the local authority save £48.6-million as part of its draft revenue – day-to-day spending – budget for 2025/26. A regional organiser at Unison South West, the public service union, said the “devastating blow” was due to the chronic underfunding of the local authority by central government.

The council has just announced that a last-minute £6.2 million shortfall in Government funding has left its already struggling finances in a “very difficult position”. Cllr David Harris, the authority’s portfolio holder for resources, has stressed on many occasions that the council is on a “financial precipice”.

There has been dismay that the council is carrying out the “major scheme” of work at Lys Kernow while so many employees face losing their jobs and when seven adult education centres face closure.

Cornwall Council has said that due to a reduced number of people using the service coupled with increased costs it is currently consulting local members on the closure of centres in Camelford, Callington, Torpoint, Saltash, Launceston, Penzance and St Austell. The council is also looking to transfer the running of 25 of its car parks to a private enforcement company overseen by its company Corserv in a bid to save on running costs and grow revenue.

Independent councillor Julian German, who has previously led Cornwall Council, said: “It’s an absolute disgrace that Cornwall Council is refurbishing Lys Kernow at this time when cuts are being made to adult education and being proposed in the budget consultation to children’s services and the fire brigade amongst others.

“Cornwall Council have got their priorities wrong. We should be protecting frontline staff and services and ensuring we are keeping people safe.”

A taxpayer who contacted us after hearing about the improvement works said: “For such a cash-strapped council you may want to investigate the amount of money they are spending on New County Hall while people lose their jobs and schools are falling down.”

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “The project will involve installing new windows to replace the current ones which have reached the end of their economic life. They have not been replaced since the building was constructed in the early 1960s and now pose a significant health and safety risk to those using the building. Similarly, a new heating system will be installed to replace the original system which is still in use.

“As well as improving safety, the changes will also allow a move towards cleaner energy sources and improve the building’s thermal efficiency thus contributing to Cornwall Council’s goal of becoming net carbon neutral by 2030. The work is planned to be completed over a two-year period, finishing around March 2027. To minimise disruption, the building will remain open and the project will be executed in phases, closing one wing at a time.

“An extensive communication plan has been developed to keep members, residents and staff informed throughout the project.”