WATERLESS urinals, rainwater flushing and solar panels are just some of the eco-friendly facilities in a new £6m Oxfordshire County Council building.
The council has moved 300 staff from Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington into Samuelson House, in Banbury.
Built on a former printworks opposite the Tramway Industrial Estate, the new offices house social care teams and NHS Oxfordshire staff.
The move, which follows a review of council property, was funded by the sale of offices closed through staff relocation.
Phil Longford, the council’s service manager for facilities management and business support, said: “We gave a lot of thought to the design of Samuelson House and have incorporated a number of features that make it environmentally friendly – and a home for the local bats who feed at the nearby River Cherwell and Oxford Canal.
“Rain water will be utilised to flush toilets and there are a number of other features that we can use to save energy.”
Solar panels will help heat water and there is natural ventilation to cool rooms.
In the building’s loft, boxes have been built to cater for the local pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here