THE Skipton headquarters of Craven District Council have serious structural problems and it would be cheaper to knock them down and rebuild elsewhere, according to a report released this week.

Council leader Carl Lis said that while the Granville Street building, which dates from 1964, may look sound from the outside, independent studies show the steel frame has only five more years at most.

The problems were known to the council before it embarked upon its "Renaissance" programme and the report makes clear that even if nothing else is done in the town, the council will still have to find new premises.

It states that rebuilding would be a cheaper option than repair.

The steel frame put up more than 40 years ago was not thick enough and has suffered severe corrosion - although it did meet the standards of the time.

While "patch repairs" should allow Granville Street to continue to be used for the next two to three years, a major operation, which would require the relocation of all staff, is a necessity and would be hugely expensive.

Four independent reports within the last five years pointed out the deterioration.

The latest report concludes: "The overall condition of the buildings is such that urgent consideration must be given to how the council can continue to accommodate the services it provides from this site whether by a new build on site or a new build at an alternative location. Either option would take around five years to achieve.

"Given the nature of the site, the condition of the existing buildings, the size of the council and the need to ensure continuity of service, it is recommended that alternative premises be sought and that the most realistic and value for money option would be a new build on an alternative site."

The independent reports were carried out by architects Bowman Riley, consulting structural engineers FR Varley, quantity surveyors Baker, Wilkins and Smith and consulting engineers DSSR.