This February NW RFCA headquarters staff will be relocating from their present offices at Alexandra Court in Aigburth, Liverpool, to Altcar Training Camp near Formby on Merseyside.
Gladstone House
The move comes as part of an ongoing project to develop a more cost-effective and sustainable headquarters building for the future, reducing the financial burden imposed on the Association and freeing more resources for the benefit of the Reserve and Cadet estate in the region.
Association Board approval was given in November to dispose of the present site in Liverpool and construct a new, purpose-built, two-story office building located near the southern boundary of Altcar Training Camp not far from the main entrance. The aspiration is for a modern, sustainable and eco-friendly building which will provide an enduring base for the Association’s ongoing work in support of the Reserve Forces and Cadet organisations.
An application for planning permission for the new headquarters was submitted to Sefton Council in November last year. Once approved, work will begin on construction of the new building in August this year.
Proposed new headquarters
In the interim, in order to accommodate the disposal of Alexandra Court, headquarters staff will be relocating to temporary office accommodation on Altcar Training Camp this February. An existing building on the camp, Gladstone Mess, is currently being repurposed and will be reopened to staff as Gladstone House and the Association’s temporary headquarters. It is expected that headquarters staff will occupy the building for 18 months, after which time it will be handed back to Altcar Training Camp as a range-side training, briefing and conference facility.
Running costs for Alexandra Court are around £38,000 per year for heating, lighting and maintenance. When completed, the new building is predicted to cost around £2,500 per year to run with very little maintenance required. Alexandra Court takes 100% of its power needs from the National Grid (Gas and Electricity). The aspiration is that the new building will be 100% powered by renewable energy sources via the 1MW solar farm at Altcar.
Proposed new headquarters
Over the coming weeks headquarters staff will be working hard to ensure as seamless as possible a transition to Altcar Training Camp with minimal disruption to the ongoing work of the Association. NW RFCA will shortly be communicating any changes to contact details to all stakeholders, via email and across online channels including the website and social media.
