Nearly £40,000 a year will be spent housing about 50 Colchester Council staff in rented accommodation.
The council's revenue team has been moved into Wellington House, in Butt Road, Colchester, because the council wants to sell off its old office.
And the staff could soon have a gymnasium to use if the landlords pursue the idea.
The 59-strong team has been moved out of the council-owned East Lodge, High Street, which will be sold off.
It is the biggest single letting deal in Colchester town centre in the past year.
In total, the council is letting 6,400 sq ft of office space the entire first floor of the building.
Nick Taylor, council resources portfolio holder, defended the decision to rent because the move was necessary and the cost difference between owning and renting was negligible.
He said: "The reason for it was that East Lodge was too small to house the whole team so we had to place some staff in Angel Court. Having the team split between the two buildings meant they had to go back and forth between the two.
"We've been looking for somewhere suitable to accommodate them. Wellington House is far better quality premises. The renting aspect doesn't make a great deal of difference in terms of cost."
Published Tuesday, January 14, 2003
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