ONE of City of York Council's biggest office buildings - the historic crescent in St Leonard's Place - could be sold off for re-development as exclusive apartments.

Consultants have been appointed to examine the future of all the local authority's offices, which are scattered at several sites across the city centre.

One of their tasks will be to investigate the possible sale of St Leonard's Place, with the capital raised being used to create new purpose-built offices elsewhere.

Council leader Steve Galloway said the building, used by hundreds of City of York Council staff, including planners, was like a rabbit warren and had other practical difficulties.

"It's too hot in summer and too cold in winter," he said.

He said efforts had been made to modernise the building, which had never been intended for use as offices.

However, it was very difficult getting it up to scratch.

"Staff have been remarkably tolerant over the years."

He said the council had a "mish-mash" of offices across the city centre at locations including St Leonard's Place, George Hudson Street/North Street, Coney Street and Back Swinegate, and this could lead to confusion for residents wanting to meet officers.

He said the building, centrally situated, could be sold off for re-development as exclusive apartments.

But this might be dependent on the removal of traffic from what is currently a heavily congested and polluted section of the inner ring road.

The Evening Press reported earlier this week that engineers were looking into the long-term feasibility of pedestrianising St Leonard's Place.

Traffic would be encouraged to use an improved outer ring road, but a new inner ring road would also have to be created through the York Central site behind York Railway Station and across Clifton Bridge.

Peter Household, of the union UNISON, which has hundreds of members working at St Leonard's Place, said the possible sale of the building, which he thought dated back to Regency times, had been talked about for 20 years.

He confirmed there were problems there for staff.

"The biggest one is overcrowding," he said.

"There is also a problem of ventilation. It relies on windows being open, but of course the windows at the front can't be opened because of all the traffic and pollution."

He said that despite this, he probably received more complaints about "sick building syndrome", for example problems with ventilation, at modern office buildings, such as the one in George Hudson Street.

Updated: 10:59 Thursday, November 13, 2003