Elgin procurator fiscal office to close for renewable energy refit
Elgin’s Procurator Fiscal office is going green to tackle climate change.
The premises in South Street will close from Monday, August 14, for up to nine months to allow extensive decarbonisation works to be carried out.
Renovations will include replacing all windows, installing a new heating system, and insulating all external walls. The goal is to enable the office to further adopt renewable energy sources – and at the same time cut costs to the public purse.
During the work, the procurator fiscal office will be temporarily relocated to the town’s police station in Moray Street to allow the improvements to be completed. A small operational team will work within the police office annexe, with the remaining staff working from home until the project is completed.
Signs will also be displayed in public areas within Elgin Sheriff Court and public areas within Police Scotland Elgin to ensure the public remain properly informed. This will ensure the work of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) can continue uninterrupted while the renovations take place.
The work, which is budgeted to cost £2.2m, is part of a Scotland-wide commitment by the COPFS Estates Strategy to embrace the drive towards utilising renewable energy.
Alison McKenzie, procurator fiscal for Aberdeen, said: “We can be enormously proud of the pioneering role our staff in Elgin are playing in helping COPFS to decarbonise. In Elgin, the installation of solar panels is already helping us to embrace renewable energy.
“It is reassuring to know that year-round, but especially in Spring, Summer and Autumn, our solar panels are providing a sizeable proportion of our energy needs. This is just one of the ways that we can reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. And this work to decarbonise the Procurator Fiscal premises in Elgin will further improve our renewable energy credentials.
“COPFS is committed to transforming workspaces to create modern, ecologically efficient and environmentally friendly spaces.”