Warwickshire County Council has defended its secrecy around plans for its costly disused office block in Warwick as avoiding "unnecessary concern or speculation".

The county council's vacated Barrack Street office block is costing more than £265,000 per year in business rates, heating, electricity and staff costs related to preventing further deterioration.

Part of the headache is that the multi-storey car park that sits underneath it is used by staff, councillors and some visitors to Shire Hall.

On Wednesday, March 3, the council's resources, fire and rescue overview and scrutiny committee – a panel of county councillors tasked with overseeing the work of the authority and partner organisations – was run through a behind-closed-doors "options appraisal" after the public-facing part of the meeting.

The county justified this by stating the information related "to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)". 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Warwickshire County Council for more detail on why the appraisal was held in private and what consideration was given to discussing the non-financial elements in public.

The county's statement read: "The report includes commercially sensitive financial and property details that are legally exempt for publication, and if released now, could compromise the council's ability to secure best value.

"A private session also allows county councillors to scrutinise the work openly, understand the constraints and risks, and question officers without limiting the council's future commercial flexibility.

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"The appraisal explores a range of early‑stage options, many of which may never go forward and publishing incomplete information at this early point could create unnecessary concern or speculation.

"We will share the non‑sensitive elements publicly as soon as it's appropriate to do so."

The matter has been rumbling on for some years but came back under the spotlight when raised by local member Cllr John Holland last year. 

There was no such secrecy around figures or potential options at that point when then-deputy leader and portfolio holder for finance and property Peter Butlin, who held the role until his Conservative group lost power to Reform UK in May 2025, said the site had proved "a bit of a problem".

He listed considerations including "whether to knock it down, redevelop it or make it good for other uses", adding that the council was "looking at some different car parking solutions for the site".