Angus Council staff will be relocated to other buildings from the weekend if an electrical fault that has been plaguing its Forfar headquarters for weeks cannot be rectified.
Contingency plans will be put in place to provide alternative IT services and sites, and staff will be moved. Repairs have been ongoing but County Buildings is still suffering from the intermittent problem, with the email service disrupted since February 18. Emails sent since then may not have been received and may not be recoverable.
Services affected include planning, building standards, environmental and consumer protection, roads and economic development. Other services have also been disrupted as the electrical failure has affected the communications network, which has its hub at County Buildings.
The local authority’s IT and property spokesman Councillor Mark Salmond said, “The council apologises for the inconvenience this may be causing customers but the problem with the electrical supply is outwith the council’s direct control.
“Every effort is being made by council staff, our contractors and the power company to identify and rectify the problem and return to a normal standard of service as soon as possible and we have taken steps to provide continuity of service wherever possible. If the fault cannot be rectified by the weekend the council will invoke contingency plans to provide alternative IT services and sites and relocate staff to other buildings.”
A council spokesman said, “Anyone who has not received an expected reply from the council to an email, and where the matter is urgent, should contact the council by telephone at 01307 461460.”
Leader of the SNP opposition group Councillor Helen Oswald said the council should have been keeping the public informed.