A project to make all Oxfordshire County Council office space open plan could end up 'costing millions' and jeopardise customer confidentiality, claims a trade union officer.

The council yesterday adopted as policy its intention to introduce 'modern workstyle' working, which will see partions between desks removed and clutter such as pictures and plants disappear. Its guidelines say desk partitions will only be provided in 'exceptional circumstances' and only staff working 75 per cent of their time at a designated office will have a desk.

But Oxfordshire's Unison official Mark Fysh says the project -- which has already been introduced in some offices -- had led to staff fears regarding confidentiality.

Mr Fysh said: "Open plan is totally out of date and any semblance of confidentiality will go completely out of the window. And there is no idea how much this will cost -- it could be millions of pounds because this is across the council.

"People need to have privacy -- you cannot have confidential paperwork on a clear desk nor can you have a project of this scale with no financial boundaries."

The county council says the cost of the changes will be self-financing with money saved through office closures. It is embarking on the project because of a shortage of meeting space and a "less-than-satisfactory" working environment.

County council head of property Neil Monaghan said it had cost £900,000 for new premises and IT equipment when social and healthcare services were consolidated at Foxcombe Court in Abingdon, which was covered by receipts from the disposal of surplus buildings.

He said: "The purpose of consolidating the offices is to provide a better service from better equipped and more appropriate buildings."

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