Hello!
I’m interested in how other councils manage accommodation for political groups within their main civic buildings.
At North East Lincolnshire Council (Grimsby Town Hall) we currently allocate dedicated rooms to each political group. However, these spaces are largely underused, typically serving only as collection points for post and papers. Formal group meetings tend to take place in larger, bookable rooms instead. At the same time, we are experiencing increasing pressure on meeting space, with officers often unable to secure suitable rooms.
Following our upcoming election, we expect an increase in the number of political groups, potentially exceeding the number of rooms available. As a result, we are considering moving away from dedicated group rooms and instead creating a central “Member Space” with pigeonholes for all Members, alongside a booking system for meeting rooms when required. Rooms would still be allocated ahead of Full Council meetings to allow groups to convene.
I’d welcome views from other authorities:
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Do you provide dedicated rooms for each political group, or a shared/generic Member space?
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How do you manage post/document distribution for Members?
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Do groups book rooms as needed, or have permanent allocations?
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Have you faced similar pressures on space, and how have you addressed them?
Any examples or lessons learned would be really helpful.
Thank you