A major shake-up of office space used by Lancashire County Council is saving millions on administration costs.

A revolution in working practices and a fast and flexible approach to managing property has reduced the amount of accommodation needed, with many offices being vacated.

Over £2m has already been achieved from the sale of property and leases in Preston alone. The money has been reinvested to protect and improve frontline services.

City centre buildings on Fishergate, Cross Street and Winckley Square as well as offices on Navigation Way are amongst those no longer in use.

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The ongoing review has seen staff relocate to existing sites including County Hall and East Cliff near Avenham Park. Space is being created because of new working practices, with more people working from home or sharing desks if their job is not always office-based. Other measures include the introduction of smaller desks for more efficient use of space.

County Councillor Anne Brown, Cabinet member for Resources and Performance, said: "We work hard to get the best value for money from all our resources and this includes looking at how much accommodation we need for staff.

"Better technology has led to our staff being able to work in a more flexible way and we are taking advantage of this by cutting back on the number of offices we own and lease."

(CD/JM)