An extra £300,000 needs to be spent by Oxford City Council so it can rent out its offices in St Ebbe’s Street.

Council workers vacated the Ramsay House building earlier this year and the building has since been marketed on a long leasehold and ‘to let’ basis.

It was hoped it would bring in much-needed rent for the cash-strapped authority.

But it now emerges the council will have to spend £300,000 to refurbish the building’s air conditioning system to lease it out.

Executive board members agreed last Wednesday to vary the 2012/13 budget to allow the money to be spent.

Julia Castle, from the corporate assets department, told councillors the existing air conditioning system was outdated, requiring frequent maintenance work.

Jericho game technology company Natural Motion Ltd is leasing the offices on the condition that the work is completed.