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Lancashire Council hires van to move boxes a few metres
Cross Street is just four metres wide and it takes just seconds to get from one side to the other.
But Lancashire Council bosses had to hire a huge van to move offices – because of health and safety red tape.
Some of the 200 staff based at Lancashire County Council's Guild House offices are moving across the road to Winckley House opposite.
Guild House has been put up for sale and files, computers and office furniture have to be moved.
The council hired Liverpool-based removal firm The Removal Team to do the job at a cost of 1,500. They turned up in a removal van to take the equipment a matter of metres from one building to another.
The van, which was parked outside Guild House facing towards Winckley Square, was started up and driven down Winckley Square before reversing and pulling up on the other side of Cross Street facing the other way.
But the council and the company said the seconds-long journey was necessary to ensure the health and safety of the firm's staff.
Kevin Thompson, owner of The Removal Team, which is based in Stopgate Lane, Liverpool, said: "It is health and safety – we just can't carry boxes across the road.
"If you can imagine it being carried across the road and a car comes and one goes one way and one the other you will end up with a desk in the middle of the road.
"I'm sure it looked humorous and I believe it was 10 yards from one building to the other.
"It is our company's health and safety guidelines. We can't just carry boxes across the road."
Colin Boardman, Environment Directorate support manager, said: "We are moving all furniture and equipment from Guild House to Winckley House.
"We hired a removal firm so that we don't have to carry everything, which includes some specialist IT equipment, across a busy road."
Guild House largely houses the council's environment directorate, including highways consultancy workers and business services.
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Weather for Preston
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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