Former council offices in South London have been put up for sale and could be transformed with new homes, a hotel or shops. Kingston Council is progressing plans to transform its headquarters, known as the Guildhall, to save cash by keeping and extending a landmark 1930s building and selling remaining 1970s offices.

The town centre complex includes the Guildhall's main Grade II listed building, built in 1935, which is home to the council chamber. It also has two 1970s office buildings, which were deemed surplus to requirements in 2022.

The council is drawing up proposals for extending the main Guildhall building, while continuing to use one of the office buildings, known as Guildhall 2, as its main office space. This building is set to be brought forward for sale at a later date.

The other office building, known as Guildhall 1, was recently cleared of staff and services. The freehold of the four-storey building has now been listed for sale by property consultants Montagu Evans.

The listing says Guildhall 1 could be redeveloped for different purposes, including new homes, a hotel, shops or other commercial uses. The building could be demolished and rebuilt, it adds, or extended by up to three more storeys.

The listing says: "Guildhall 1 occupies a prominent position within the centre of Kingston, which is full of activity, offering a bustling street scene of outdoor food markets, drinking establishments, coffee shops and clothes stores that are all set back from the River Thames."

It continues: "Offers are sought on an unconditional or subject to planning basis. There is no guide price for this development opportunity."

A Kingston Council spokesperson said: "The space available in Guildhall 1 is no longer fit for purpose, and would require significant capital expenditure to upgrade. The underutilised building was deemed surplus to requirements in 2022, and is now empty of council staff.

"We are focussed on maximising the assets that we have, and finding more cost-effective ways of providing the best possible services to residents. The opportunity to dispose of this building will deliver significant savings (through the avoiding of running costs), reduce the council's carbon emissions and generate a capital receipt for the benefit of realising other council projects."

A previous report by council officers said plans for the Guildhall complex will 'release surplus accommodation, generate income and save on running costs'. It described the complex as no longer fit-for-purpose due to being 'under-occupied with a surplus of desks, inefficient design, poor energy efficiency and high building running costs', while it has a 'significant backlog of maintenance and general works'.

The report said the changes could lead to the council saving around £1.5million a year. It added the plans could make the main Guildhall more accessible to the public, improve services and help the wider regeneration of Kingston town centre.

The council's Corporate and Resources Committee is expected to consider detailed designs for the future of the main Guildhall this year, ahead of a planning application being submitted. If the scheme wins permission to go ahead, the committee will then be asked to approve the sale of Guildhall 2.