A SENIOR director at Worcestershire County Council insists no "fire sales" are planned of iconic buildings - saying the crown jewels are safe.

Sander Kristel, a corporate director at County Hall responsible for overseeing the biggest change in the authority's history, says it will take time for the so-called Place Partnership to reap benefits.

As your Worcester News revealed last week, the partnership has now launched, a deal between three councils, two police forces and the fire service to sell off unwanted property.

The six taxpayer-funded bodies will aim to merge buildings where possible, selling off sites with the aim of saving £75 million by 2025.

The deal, which we first revealed was on the cards last year, went 'live' last week with around 200 Worcestershire County Council staff transferred into a new limited company to run it.

Mr Kristel, the director for commercial and change, said much of the project's aim is around getting staff to hot-desk and get on the road as much as possible, freeing up office space.

"We've been doing very well but believe by joining with other public sector bodies we can do even better," he said.

"Where do you want staff like social workers? You want them out the office, mobile working - that way you get more value out of them and a better service.

"The Place Partnership is by no means a fire sale, we are not getting rid of all our assets - there's still a serious and significant base (of property), but we think by working with the other authorities we can do better."

Worcester City Council, Redditch Borough Council and Worcestershire County Council are all part of it, as are Warwickshire and West Mercia Police forces and the fire service.

The 200 county council staff have moved into the fire service offices off Charles Hastings Way to crack on with drawing up the plans.

Under the arrangement each authority has announced its own 'shareholders' who will sit on a management committee - and there will also be a yearly Annual General Meeting.

No buildings can be sold without the consent of the authority which owns a particular site, and the money raised from sales will be sunk back into services - staving off any possibility that sites like Worcester's Guildhall could ever be sold.